https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cold-case-true-crime--7191521enTrue Crime© 2026 OBOMEDIA Creatorshttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/2ab900558a2a8917b3499d96bdb17d54.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cold-case-true-crime--7191521Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:01:17 +0000Creator at ObomediaCreator at Obomediacreators@obomedia.comUnresolved DNA leads, fading witness memories, and legal blind spots are where Cold Case True Crime starts. Each episode pulls apart forensic records, genealogical breakthroughs and investigative detail to reopen files that time nearly closed. This...falsead6d0d12-a6fc-5fab-98dc-1a0838f7273eepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-single-shoe-that-broke-a-30-year-murder-silence--73055979
A single white canvas sneaker-size seven, left foot, double‑knotted lace-was found perched, dry and clean, on an iron grate on Thornfield Road with no second shoe and no footprints nearby. That lone shoe, linked to 48‑year‑old Gail Phillips, sat in evidence for nearly thirty years while her strangulation remained unsolved; how did it get there and who set it upright?

In this episode, we follow the known facts of Gail Phillips’s disappearance and the evidence trail from the grate to the ravine and the people closest to the case. What can a solitary shoe, a blue synthetic fiber, and decades of paperwork tell us about what really happened that Tuesday?

Person: Gail Phillips
Date: August 10, 1993
Location: Thornfield Road (grate) and Spruce Hollow Road (ravine)
Status: Homicide by strangulation; case unresolved
Investigator: Detective Frank Obenhaus

- Shoe recovered at 7:42 AM on a Tuesday morning was a white canvas sneaker, size 7, left foot, with a double‑knotted lace.
- Gail Phillips, age 48, left home at 1:40 PM on August 10, 1993, to walk 1.5 miles to a friend’s house and never arrived.
- Gail was found on August 16, 1993, in a ravine approximately two miles from the Thornfield Road lift station, wearing the same clothes she left home in.
- A blue synthetic fiber scraped from the iron lip of the grate was logged by the lab as consistent with postal uniform fabric.
- Neighbor Terry Abbot, age 34 in 1993, lived 0.3 miles from the lift station, was interviewed four times, had prior disorderly arrests, and died in 1999.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055979Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Single Shoe That Broke a 30‑Year Murder Silence A single white canvas sneaker-size seven, left foot, double‑knotted lace-was found perched, dry and clean, on an iron grate on Thornfield Road with no second shoe and no footprints nearby. That...
A single white canvas sneaker-size seven, left foot, double‑knotted lace-was found perched, dry and clean, on an iron grate on Thornfield Road with no second shoe and no footprints nearby. That lone shoe, linked to 48‑year‑old Gail Phillips, sat in evidence for nearly thirty years while her strangulation remained unsolved; how did it get there and who set it upright?

In this episode, we follow the known facts of Gail Phillips’s disappearance and the evidence trail from the grate to the ravine and the people closest to the case. What can a solitary shoe, a blue synthetic fiber, and decades of paperwork tell us about what really happened that Tuesday?

Person: Gail Phillips
Date: August 10, 1993
Location: Thornfield Road (grate) and Spruce Hollow Road (ravine)
Status: Homicide by strangulation; case unresolved
Investigator: Detective Frank Obenhaus

- Shoe recovered at 7:42 AM on a Tuesday morning was a white canvas sneaker, size 7, left foot, with a double‑knotted lace.
- Gail Phillips, age 48, left home at 1:40 PM on August 10, 1993, to walk 1.5 miles to a friend’s house and never arrived.
- Gail was found on August 16, 1993, in a ravine approximately two miles from the Thornfield Road lift station, wearing the same clothes she left home in.
- A blue synthetic fiber scraped from the iron lip of the grate was logged by the lab as consistent with postal uniform fabric.
- Neighbor Terry Abbot, age 34 in 1993, lived 0.3 miles from the lift station, was interviewed four times, had prior disorderly arrests, and died in 1999.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1107falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-running-watch-how-a-woman-s-timepiece-solved-a-32-year-murder--73055977
A gold-tone Seiko bracelet kept ticking on a murdered man's wrist for thirty-two years inside a sealed evidence envelope, and no one who knew him recognized it. The watch was buckled over Gordon Gallagher's wide wrist when his body was found face-up in eleven inches of water - so whose watch was it, and how did it become the thread that pulled a name out of four generations of family trees?

In this episode, we tell the two halves of the story: the July 1991 night when Gordon Gallagher disappeared after a cookout and his body was discovered at Cutter's Bluff Nature Preserve, and the later forensic work and small lead - a disposable coffee cup and a Tennessee woman who never heard Gordon's name - that finally moved the case. How did a running woman's watch and a single discarded cup close a gap that lasted over three decades?

Person: Gordon Gallagher
Date: July 11-14, 1991
Location: Cutter's Bluff Nature Preserve; Orchard Terrace, Fenwick
Cause: Manual strangulation
Evidence item: Gold-tone Seiko women's bracelet watch

- Gordon Gallagher was thirty-one years old and woke at 5:20 a.m. to run four miles along the east side of Fenwick.
- His body was found face-up in eleven inches of standing water on the morning of July 14, after being in the channel 36 to 48 hours.
- He worked as a parts coordinator at Bryson Supply and drove a company-use Dodge pickup that remained behind his duplex.
- The cookout where he last left was at Terry Mack's house; he declined a ride from Alan Covey around 9:30 p.m.
- The watch remained in a sealed evidence envelope in Weston County for thirty-two years, still running.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055977Wed, 09 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Running Watch: How a Woman's Timepiece Solved a 32-Year Murder A gold-tone Seiko bracelet kept ticking on a murdered man's wrist for thirty-two years inside a sealed evidence envelope, and no one who knew him recognized it. The watch was...
A gold-tone Seiko bracelet kept ticking on a murdered man's wrist for thirty-two years inside a sealed evidence envelope, and no one who knew him recognized it. The watch was buckled over Gordon Gallagher's wide wrist when his body was found face-up in eleven inches of water - so whose watch was it, and how did it become the thread that pulled a name out of four generations of family trees?

In this episode, we tell the two halves of the story: the July 1991 night when Gordon Gallagher disappeared after a cookout and his body was discovered at Cutter's Bluff Nature Preserve, and the later forensic work and small lead - a disposable coffee cup and a Tennessee woman who never heard Gordon's name - that finally moved the case. How did a running woman's watch and a single discarded cup close a gap that lasted over three decades?

Person: Gordon Gallagher
Date: July 11-14, 1991
Location: Cutter's Bluff Nature Preserve; Orchard Terrace, Fenwick
Cause: Manual strangulation
Evidence item: Gold-tone Seiko women's bracelet watch

- Gordon Gallagher was thirty-one years old and woke at 5:20 a.m. to run four miles along the east side of Fenwick.
- His body was found face-up in eleven inches of standing water on the morning of July 14, after being in the channel 36 to 48 hours.
- He worked as a parts coordinator at Bryson Supply and drove a company-use Dodge pickup that remained behind his duplex.
- The cookout where he last left was at Terry Mack's house; he declined a ride from Alan Covey around 9:30 p.m.
- The watch remained in a sealed evidence envelope in Weston County for thirty-two years, still running.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1248falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-was-found-because-a-son-asked-dna-breaks-31-year-freeze--73055976
A quiet Fenwick neighborhood, a porch light that should have been on, and biological evidence that sat unmatched in a state database for 31 years - until a man asking if he was adopted set a chain in motion. How did a routine adoption question lead investigators back to a June night in 1991 and finally break a frozen DNA hit?

In this episode, we follow the case files, neighborhood memories, and the investigators who reopened a long-cold file to answer the question everyone avoided for decades: who entered 44 Calloway Drive between 10:00 p.m. and midnight on June 8, 1991?

Person: Wendy Graham
Date: June 8-9, 1991
Location: 44 Calloway Drive, Fenwick
Status: DNA profile entered in state database; matched after 31 years
Investigator: Gina Sharp

- Wendy Graham was 52 years old and had worked 22 years at Trident Health Services as a billing coordinator.
- Grant Russo discovered the scene at 6:17 a.m, on June 9, 1991, while delivering newspapers at age 14.
- Time of death was estimated between 10:00 p.m. and midnight on June 8, 1991; she was seen entering her home at approximately 8:45 p.m.
- Biological evidence from the hallway produced a DNA profile that remained unmatched in the state database for 31 years.
- Carl Bettis, a person of interest tested in 1991, was excluded by DNA; that exclusion was not publicly released for nearly two years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055976Tue, 08 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Was Found Because a Son Asked: DNA Breaks 31-Year Freeze A quiet Fenwick neighborhood, a porch light that should have been on, and biological evidence that sat unmatched in a state database for 31 years - until a man asking if he was...
A quiet Fenwick neighborhood, a porch light that should have been on, and biological evidence that sat unmatched in a state database for 31 years - until a man asking if he was adopted set a chain in motion. How did a routine adoption question lead investigators back to a June night in 1991 and finally break a frozen DNA hit?

In this episode, we follow the case files, neighborhood memories, and the investigators who reopened a long-cold file to answer the question everyone avoided for decades: who entered 44 Calloway Drive between 10:00 p.m. and midnight on June 8, 1991?

Person: Wendy Graham
Date: June 8-9, 1991
Location: 44 Calloway Drive, Fenwick
Status: DNA profile entered in state database; matched after 31 years
Investigator: Gina Sharp

- Wendy Graham was 52 years old and had worked 22 years at Trident Health Services as a billing coordinator.
- Grant Russo discovered the scene at 6:17 a.m, on June 9, 1991, while delivering newspapers at age 14.
- Time of death was estimated between 10:00 p.m. and midnight on June 8, 1991; she was seen entering her home at approximately 8:45 p.m.
- Biological evidence from the hallway produced a DNA profile that remained unmatched in the state database for 31 years.
- Carl Bettis, a person of interest tested in 1991, was excluded by DNA; that exclusion was not publicly released for nearly two years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1288falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-on-the-shelf-how-a-work-order-broke-a-cold-case--73055974
A pale body found in a drainage channel, one boot missing, and eleven hours later that boot stands upright on a storage locker shelf fourteen miles away with a folded handwritten work order inside - deliberately placed. Who would fold a work order, pay cash for a locker two weeks earlier, and leave a boot like a message?

In this episode, we tell the story of Charles Marshall, the sequence of anomalies around his death, and how a decades-old clue and a parish register in County Cork eventually answered the question of who and why. How did a routine furnace work order become the thread that unraveled a forty-year mystery?

Person: Charles Marshall
Date: May 17, 1984
Location: County Route Nine, Harwick
Age: 44
Company: Pelden Heating and Cooling

- Found face-down in a drainage channel at 4:51 a.m. on May 17, 1984.
- Wearing a gray Pelden Heating and Cooling work shirt with one boot missing.
- Eleven hours after discovery, the missing boot was found upright on shelf in locker number 41 at the Harwick Depot Bus Terminal.
- The boot contained a folded handwritten work order for a furnace inspection at a Cavender Street address that was vacant.
- The locker had been rented two weeks before Marshall’s death and was paid for in cash.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055974Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boot on the Shelf: How a Work Order Broke a Cold Case A pale body found in a drainage channel, one boot missing, and eleven hours later that boot stands upright on a storage locker shelf fourteen miles away with a folded handwritten work order...
A pale body found in a drainage channel, one boot missing, and eleven hours later that boot stands upright on a storage locker shelf fourteen miles away with a folded handwritten work order inside - deliberately placed. Who would fold a work order, pay cash for a locker two weeks earlier, and leave a boot like a message?

In this episode, we tell the story of Charles Marshall, the sequence of anomalies around his death, and how a decades-old clue and a parish register in County Cork eventually answered the question of who and why. How did a routine furnace work order become the thread that unraveled a forty-year mystery?

Person: Charles Marshall
Date: May 17, 1984
Location: County Route Nine, Harwick
Age: 44
Company: Pelden Heating and Cooling

- Found face-down in a drainage channel at 4:51 a.m. on May 17, 1984.
- Wearing a gray Pelden Heating and Cooling work shirt with one boot missing.
- Eleven hours after discovery, the missing boot was found upright on shelf in locker number 41 at the Harwick Depot Bus Terminal.
- The boot contained a folded handwritten work order for a furnace inspection at a Cavender Street address that was vacant.
- The locker had been rented two weeks before Marshall’s death and was paid for in cash.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1343falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/detective-s-daughter-finds-the-envelope-that-solves-a-30-year-murder-the-robert-bowers-case--73055973
A dead man's right fist, partially closed and holding 12-15 coarse dark hairs and a single blue polyester fiber, sat in evidence for thirty years while the rest of the case grew cold - why did a careful 28-year-old delivery coordinator end up at an invisible loading dock he had no business visiting, and who left those hairs in his hand?

In this episode, we walk through the preserved facts and the stalled forensic trail that lasted from April 14, 1991 until decades later, following the chain from the unlabeled account at his workplace to the sealed envelope that finally spoke; what new step finally broke the thirty-year silence?

Person: Robert Bowers
Date: April 14, 1991
Age: 28
Location: Carver Packing loading dock, Dellwood, Ohio
Evidence status: Hair strands and a blue polyester fiber collected and stored since 1991

- 12-15 dark, coarse hair strands were found in Robert Bowers's right hand.
- $22 was in Robert Bowers's wallet when his body was found.
- The body was discovered propped against a corrugated steel service door on April 14, 1991.
- A single blue polyester fiber was lifted two feet from where Bowers was found.
- A new client account was opened at Aldine Supply six weeks before Bowers's death and routed directly to his desk.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055973Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaDetective's Daughter Finds the Envelope That Solves a 30-Year Murder: The Robert Bowers Case A dead man's right fist, partially closed and holding 12-15 coarse dark hairs and a single blue polyester fiber, sat in evidence for thirty years while the...
A dead man's right fist, partially closed and holding 12-15 coarse dark hairs and a single blue polyester fiber, sat in evidence for thirty years while the rest of the case grew cold - why did a careful 28-year-old delivery coordinator end up at an invisible loading dock he had no business visiting, and who left those hairs in his hand?

In this episode, we walk through the preserved facts and the stalled forensic trail that lasted from April 14, 1991 until decades later, following the chain from the unlabeled account at his workplace to the sealed envelope that finally spoke; what new step finally broke the thirty-year silence?

Person: Robert Bowers
Date: April 14, 1991
Age: 28
Location: Carver Packing loading dock, Dellwood, Ohio
Evidence status: Hair strands and a blue polyester fiber collected and stored since 1991

- 12-15 dark, coarse hair strands were found in Robert Bowers's right hand.
- $22 was in Robert Bowers's wallet when his body was found.
- The body was discovered propped against a corrugated steel service door on April 14, 1991.
- A single blue polyester fiber was lifted two feet from where Bowers was found.
- A new client account was opened at Aldine Supply six weeks before Bowers's death and routed directly to his desk.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1284falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-two-miles-downstream-how-a-trophy-solved-dawn-s-murder--73055972
Cold and deliberate: Dawn Price was found seated against a tree, one brown leather boot on and the other missing, at 31°F; eleven days later that missing left boot was placed sole-down on a concrete bridge abutment two miles downstream. Who crossed near-freezing water to leave that boot as a message, and why did it take 32 years and an unrelated DNA search to point investigators to a suspect?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events, the physical evidence left behind, and the long trail that led from a shimmed back door and a staged boot to the breakthrough years later; what does that deliberate placement and the footprint found nearby tell us about the person who returned to the creek?

Person: Dawn Price
Date: March 10, 1991
Location: Kessler Creek (body), concrete bridge abutment two miles downstream (boot)
Cause of death: Strangulation
Time to case break: 32 years

- Temperature at discovery: 31 degrees Fahrenheit
- Distance from Sutter Lane to body: three miles
- Time between body discovery and boot discovery: eleven days
- Footprint cast size: size 11 to 12 work boot, found 15 yards downstream from the abutment
- Landlord painted back door: October 1990, with scratches consistent with a thin pry tool added afterward

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055972Sat, 05 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boot Two Miles Downstream: How a Trophy Solved Dawn's Murder Cold and deliberate: Dawn Price was found seated against a tree, one brown leather boot on and the other missing, at 31°F; eleven days later that missing left boot was placed...
Cold and deliberate: Dawn Price was found seated against a tree, one brown leather boot on and the other missing, at 31°F; eleven days later that missing left boot was placed sole-down on a concrete bridge abutment two miles downstream. Who crossed near-freezing water to leave that boot as a message, and why did it take 32 years and an unrelated DNA search to point investigators to a suspect?

In this episode, we present the sequence of events, the physical evidence left behind, and the long trail that led from a shimmed back door and a staged boot to the breakthrough years later; what does that deliberate placement and the footprint found nearby tell us about the person who returned to the creek?

Person: Dawn Price
Date: March 10, 1991
Location: Kessler Creek (body), concrete bridge abutment two miles downstream (boot)
Cause of death: Strangulation
Time to case break: 32 years

- Temperature at discovery: 31 degrees Fahrenheit
- Distance from Sutter Lane to body: three miles
- Time between body discovery and boot discovery: eleven days
- Footprint cast size: size 11 to 12 work boot, found 15 yards downstream from the abutment
- Landlord painted back door: October 1990, with scratches consistent with a thin pry tool added afterward

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1171falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fingerprints-that-slept-how-dna-named-paula-s-killer-after-decades--73055971
The cold certainty of a Wednesday phone call that never came - Paula Lawson vanished after her shift at 10:05 PM on February 10, 1987, and her body was found behind a truck stop dumpster at 6:42 AM the next morning; scrapings under her fingernails contained foreign biological material that sat in a freezer for 31 years. Who finally gave that material a voice, and what did it reveal about the man who had no name for three decades?

In this episode, we follow the preserved evidence from the night Paula died and the long procedural trail it left behind, detailing how investigators documented the scene, the early suspect that dominated the inquiry, and the way the untouched forensic sample would later change everything. How did a genealogist in Lincoln and decades of preserved scrapings converge to answer what had gone cold?

Person: Paula Lawson
Date: February 10-11, 1987
Location: Crossroads 40 truck stop, Hale Flat, Nebraska
Cause of death: Strangulation
Evidence status: Scrapings beneath fingernails stored in freezer for 31 years

- Paula clocked out at 10:05 PM on February 10, 1987 and was last seen saying “See you Thursday.”
- Paula’s body was discovered at 6:42 AM on February 11, 1987 inside a dumpster enclosure 60 feet behind propane cages.
- The night temperature had dropped to 11 degrees Fahrenheit before her body was found.
- Medical examiner Dr. Victor Crane estimated time of death as 14 to 18 hours before discovery and collected scrapings under Paula’s fingernails.
- The biological material from those scrapings was sealed and stored by the Hale County Sheriff’s Department for 31 years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055971Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Fingerprints That Slept: How DNA Named Paula's Killer After Decades The cold certainty of a Wednesday phone call that never came - Paula Lawson vanished after her shift at 10:05 PM on February 10, 1987, and her body was found behind a truck...
The cold certainty of a Wednesday phone call that never came - Paula Lawson vanished after her shift at 10:05 PM on February 10, 1987, and her body was found behind a truck stop dumpster at 6:42 AM the next morning; scrapings under her fingernails contained foreign biological material that sat in a freezer for 31 years. Who finally gave that material a voice, and what did it reveal about the man who had no name for three decades?

In this episode, we follow the preserved evidence from the night Paula died and the long procedural trail it left behind, detailing how investigators documented the scene, the early suspect that dominated the inquiry, and the way the untouched forensic sample would later change everything. How did a genealogist in Lincoln and decades of preserved scrapings converge to answer what had gone cold?

Person: Paula Lawson
Date: February 10-11, 1987
Location: Crossroads 40 truck stop, Hale Flat, Nebraska
Cause of death: Strangulation
Evidence status: Scrapings beneath fingernails stored in freezer for 31 years

- Paula clocked out at 10:05 PM on February 10, 1987 and was last seen saying “See you Thursday.”
- Paula’s body was discovered at 6:42 AM on February 11, 1987 inside a dumpster enclosure 60 feet behind propane cages.
- The night temperature had dropped to 11 degrees Fahrenheit before her body was found.
- Medical examiner Dr. Victor Crane estimated time of death as 14 to 18 hours before discovery and collected scrapings under Paula’s fingernails.
- The biological material from those scrapings was sealed and stored by the Hale County Sheriff’s Department for 31 years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1184falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-molar-that-named-her-how-dna-broke-a-31-year-silence--73055970
Cold and ordinary facts kept a name silent for 31 years: a toothbrush, a bowling score underlined twice, and a molar pulled from a jawbone under four feet of compacted soil beside Stiles Road. How did a saliva swab, a retired detective's garage, and a single tooth finally turn those fragments into an answer - and who held the missing piece?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the people connected to a disappearance that began January 14, 1991 and stretched three decades before identification. You’ll hear what was logged, what was missing from the van assignment, and the evidence that waited in sealed bags and a storage bin until DNA made the connection.

Person: Brenda Andrews
Date: January 14, 1991
Location: Caldwell Street duplex; Stiles Road drainage easement in Dunbar County
Age: 38 in 1991
Investigator: Detective Howard Sims

- Brenda Andrews scored 167 in her last recorded bowling entry on January 8, 1991 and underlined the number twice.
- Brenda did not show for her Colfax shift on Monday, January 14, 1991; her supervisor noted the absence but did not call.
- Iris Gable discovered Brenda’s unlocked home and a bowl of cereal with solidified milk on January 17, 1991 at 12:40 p.m.
- Detective Howard Sims logged Brenda’s toothbrush, hairbrush, and drinking glass into evidence in 1991 and later stored case files in a plastic container in his garage.
- A molar from a jawbone found under four feet of soil beside a Stiles Road overpass provided the DNA that ended 31 years of uncertainty.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055970Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Molar That Named Her: How DNA Broke a 31-Year Silence Cold and ordinary facts kept a name silent for 31 years: a toothbrush, a bowling score underlined twice, and a molar pulled from a jawbone under four feet of compacted soil beside Stiles...
Cold and ordinary facts kept a name silent for 31 years: a toothbrush, a bowling score underlined twice, and a molar pulled from a jawbone under four feet of compacted soil beside Stiles Road. How did a saliva swab, a retired detective's garage, and a single tooth finally turn those fragments into an answer - and who held the missing piece?

In this episode, we follow the timeline and the people connected to a disappearance that began January 14, 1991 and stretched three decades before identification. You’ll hear what was logged, what was missing from the van assignment, and the evidence that waited in sealed bags and a storage bin until DNA made the connection.

Person: Brenda Andrews
Date: January 14, 1991
Location: Caldwell Street duplex; Stiles Road drainage easement in Dunbar County
Age: 38 in 1991
Investigator: Detective Howard Sims

- Brenda Andrews scored 167 in her last recorded bowling entry on January 8, 1991 and underlined the number twice.
- Brenda did not show for her Colfax shift on Monday, January 14, 1991; her supervisor noted the absence but did not call.
- Iris Gable discovered Brenda’s unlocked home and a bowl of cereal with solidified milk on January 17, 1991 at 12:40 p.m.
- Detective Howard Sims logged Brenda’s toothbrush, hairbrush, and drinking glass into evidence in 1991 and later stored case files in a plastic container in his garage.
- A molar from a jawbone found under four feet of soil beside a Stiles Road overpass provided the DNA that ended 31 years of uncertainty.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1316falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-frozen-vial-that-unmasked-a-killer-after-thirty-years--73055969
A vial of blood drawn on December 14, 1993, sat frozen and forgotten for thirty-one years until a protocol rescued it; when forensic biologists opened Rebecca Hughes's vial in spring 2024, it matched a bloodstain beside a culvert and cracked a thirty-year cold case. How did a routine blood drive and a lawsuit-triggered protocol become the chain that finally tied a killer to Jeffrey Petersen's December 1993 death?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the day Jeffrey Petersen vanished to the moment a preserved blood sample provided the missing link, following the evidence, timelines, and the single unexpected physical clue that puzzled investigators for decades: why was a dry Oxford shoe left standing upright on a footbridge above a soaked creek bed?

Person: Jeffrey Petersen
Date: December 1, 1993
Location: Ridgeline Greenway culvert, eastern Calverton, Tennessee
Status: Case cold for thirty years until evidence in spring 2024
Person: Rebecca Hughes

- Blood draw documented at 2:17 PM on December 14, 1993, during a Calverton Community Center blood drive.
- Jeffrey Petersen signed the Calverton Community' Home guestbook at 3:15 PM on December 1, 1993, and left about 4:30 PM.
- Body found partially hidden at a culvert grate on Ridgeline Greenway by Thomas Myers at 8:40 AM on December 7, 1993.
- Cause of death: single blunt-force strike to the back of the skull consistent with a cylindrical metal object; no weapon recovered.
- Rebecca Hughes's vial matched a bloodstain on a rock beside the drainage culvert when tested in spring 2024.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055969Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Frozen Vial That Unmasked a Killer After Thirty Years A vial of blood drawn on December 14, 1993, sat frozen and forgotten for thirty-one years until a protocol rescued it; when forensic biologists opened Rebecca Hughes's vial in spring 2024,...
A vial of blood drawn on December 14, 1993, sat frozen and forgotten for thirty-one years until a protocol rescued it; when forensic biologists opened Rebecca Hughes's vial in spring 2024, it matched a bloodstain beside a culvert and cracked a thirty-year cold case. How did a routine blood drive and a lawsuit-triggered protocol become the chain that finally tied a killer to Jeffrey Petersen's December 1993 death?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the day Jeffrey Petersen vanished to the moment a preserved blood sample provided the missing link, following the evidence, timelines, and the single unexpected physical clue that puzzled investigators for decades: why was a dry Oxford shoe left standing upright on a footbridge above a soaked creek bed?

Person: Jeffrey Petersen
Date: December 1, 1993
Location: Ridgeline Greenway culvert, eastern Calverton, Tennessee
Status: Case cold for thirty years until evidence in spring 2024
Person: Rebecca Hughes

- Blood draw documented at 2:17 PM on December 14, 1993, during a Calverton Community Center blood drive.
- Jeffrey Petersen signed the Calverton Community' Home guestbook at 3:15 PM on December 1, 1993, and left about 4:30 PM.
- Body found partially hidden at a culvert grate on Ridgeline Greenway by Thomas Myers at 8:40 AM on December 7, 1993.
- Cause of death: single blunt-force strike to the back of the skull consistent with a cylindrical metal object; no weapon recovered.
- Rebecca Hughes's vial matched a bloodstain on a rock beside the drainage culvert when tested in spring 2024.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1213falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-nobody-mailed-how-a-stamp-led-to-a-killer--73055964
Cold, careful, and unmailed: a stamped envelope licked and sealed two days before Paula Sullivan turned up face-down in the shallows of the Cossatot River would sit in evidence for thirty years with a single wet stripe of cells pressed to the paper - who carried that freezer-weight zip bag to the river and why was Paula targeted on a familiar campus path?

In this episode, we follow the facts preserved in fourteen binders, from the November 12, 1993 letter found in Paula's coat to the degraded partial DNA recovered beneath her fingernails, and trace the margins of one detective's notes to the moment a forensic genealogist cracked a nearly exhausted sample; how did a stamp and a bootprint point toward a diner parking lot in Pryor, Oklahoma in September 2023?

Person: Paula Sullivan
Date: November 12, 1993
Location: Cossatot River bank, two miles south of Millhaven bridge
Cause: Manual strangulation
Evidence: Stamped envelope dated November 12 sealed in a six-by-nine freezer-weight zip-closure plastic bag

- Paula Sullivan was 26 years old and a graduate student in library science at Millhaven State University.
- Frances Stewart, a 61-year-old retired postal clerk, found Paula face-down on November 14, 1993.
- The envelope in Paula's interior coat pocket was stamped, licked, addressed to Connie Sullivan, and dated November 12.
- A partial DNA profile of six of thirteen loci was extracted from material under Paula's fingernails by 1994 and the physical sample was frozen.
- A lug-sole bootprint approximately 40 feet upstream indicated size ten to eleven with the outer right heel worn nearly to nothing while the left heel showed almost no wear.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055964Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope Nobody Mailed: How a Stamp Led to a Killer Cold, careful, and unmailed: a stamped envelope licked and sealed two days before Paula Sullivan turned up face-down in the shallows of the Cossatot River would sit in evidence for thirty...
Cold, careful, and unmailed: a stamped envelope licked and sealed two days before Paula Sullivan turned up face-down in the shallows of the Cossatot River would sit in evidence for thirty years with a single wet stripe of cells pressed to the paper - who carried that freezer-weight zip bag to the river and why was Paula targeted on a familiar campus path?

In this episode, we follow the facts preserved in fourteen binders, from the November 12, 1993 letter found in Paula's coat to the degraded partial DNA recovered beneath her fingernails, and trace the margins of one detective's notes to the moment a forensic genealogist cracked a nearly exhausted sample; how did a stamp and a bootprint point toward a diner parking lot in Pryor, Oklahoma in September 2023?

Person: Paula Sullivan
Date: November 12, 1993
Location: Cossatot River bank, two miles south of Millhaven bridge
Cause: Manual strangulation
Evidence: Stamped envelope dated November 12 sealed in a six-by-nine freezer-weight zip-closure plastic bag

- Paula Sullivan was 26 years old and a graduate student in library science at Millhaven State University.
- Frances Stewart, a 61-year-old retired postal clerk, found Paula face-down on November 14, 1993.
- The envelope in Paula's interior coat pocket was stamped, licked, addressed to Connie Sullivan, and dated November 12.
- A partial DNA profile of six of thirteen loci was extracted from material under Paula's fingernails by 1994 and the physical sample was frozen.
- A lug-sole bootprint approximately 40 feet upstream indicated size ten to eleven with the outer right heel worn nearly to nothing while the left heel showed almost no wear.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1193falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-glove-that-ruptured-a-quiet-killer-s-alibi--73055963
A latex glove sat sealed in a freezer at the Crestview County Sheriff's Office for thirty-one years, carrying a partial palm smear that yielded a DNA profile but matched no one in any database - until new methods reopened the case. Who did that glove belong to, and how did a photograph someone insisted did not exist become central to a thirty-year silence?

In this episode, we follow the physical trail and investigative thread left in a small Ohio town: the evidence preserved, the detectives who passed the file between them, and the breakthrough that came when genealogical tools met an old partial profile - could that combination finally name the person who entered Neil Collins’s kitchen on October 9, 1992?

Person: Neil Collins
Date: October 9, 1992
Location: Crestview County, Ohio
Investigator: Frank Adler
Evidence: latex glove size large with partial palm smear

- The glove was recovered from a drainage culvert approximately 400 yards from Collins's property.
- Neil Collins was 47 years old at the time of his death in the fall of 1992.
- Frank Adler worked the Collins case for 17 years and retired in 2009 still holding a suspected silhouette of the killer.
- DNA from the glove produced a profile in the late 1990s that matched no one in law enforcement databases for 31 years.
- In spring 2021, Ray Stout submitted the glove’s DNA profile to a genealogical database and brought in forensic genealogist Cynthia Whitley.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055963Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer Glove That Ruptured a Quiet Killer's Alibi A latex glove sat sealed in a freezer at the Crestview County Sheriff's Office for thirty-one years, carrying a partial palm smear that yielded a DNA profile but matched no one in any database...
A latex glove sat sealed in a freezer at the Crestview County Sheriff's Office for thirty-one years, carrying a partial palm smear that yielded a DNA profile but matched no one in any database - until new methods reopened the case. Who did that glove belong to, and how did a photograph someone insisted did not exist become central to a thirty-year silence?

In this episode, we follow the physical trail and investigative thread left in a small Ohio town: the evidence preserved, the detectives who passed the file between them, and the breakthrough that came when genealogical tools met an old partial profile - could that combination finally name the person who entered Neil Collins’s kitchen on October 9, 1992?

Person: Neil Collins
Date: October 9, 1992
Location: Crestview County, Ohio
Investigator: Frank Adler
Evidence: latex glove size large with partial palm smear

- The glove was recovered from a drainage culvert approximately 400 yards from Collins's property.
- Neil Collins was 47 years old at the time of his death in the fall of 1992.
- Frank Adler worked the Collins case for 17 years and retired in 2009 still holding a suspected silhouette of the killer.
- DNA from the glove produced a profile in the late 1990s that matched no one in law enforcement databases for 31 years.
- In spring 2021, Ray Stout submitted the glove’s DNA profile to a genealogical database and brought in forensic genealogist Cynthia Whitley.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1187falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-s-secret-how-a-hum-and-a-meter-broke-silence--73055960
A humming chest freezer, an orange extension cord threaded through clapboard, and a utility meter showing continuous draw for somewhere between four and fourteen months - a single morning in September 1983 rewired a decade-long mystery. Who did the freezer preserve, and how did a detail the killer forgot become the chain of evidence that decades later would point to a killer?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries that connect a missing woman, a running freezer in an abandoned grain building, and a preserved sample that stayed in a file for years; the episode traces the facts from Gail O'Connor’s last confirmed sighting to the moment investigators realized the Jane Doe might be her, and asks how a consumer ancestry kit decades later would change everything.

Person: Gail O'Connor
Date: Last confirmed sighting September 14, 1982
Date: Freezer discovered September 4, 1983
Location: Millhaven Road, abandoned grain building
Status: Jane Doe buried in an unmarked grave at Graceland Memorial Cemetery

- Gail O'Connor was thirty-one years old and last seen leaving Beulah's Diner at approximately 8:40 PM on September 14, 1982.
- Gail’s car, a copper-brown 1979 Buick Skylark, was found unlocked two days later in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot on Route 51, seven miles from the diner.
- The freezer at the Millhaven Road building was plugged through clapboard with an orange extension cord and had been drawing power continuously for between four and fourteen months according to the utility meter.
- Detective Sergeant Mike Abboud preserved tissue samples from the Jane Doe before she was buried and noted the evidence in the case file.
- Gail’s dental records were destroyed in a flood, making a dental comparison inconclusive.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055960Sun, 30 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer's Secret: How a Hum and a Meter Broke Silence A humming chest freezer, an orange extension cord threaded through clapboard, and a utility meter showing continuous draw for somewhere between four and fourteen months - a single morning in...
A humming chest freezer, an orange extension cord threaded through clapboard, and a utility meter showing continuous draw for somewhere between four and fourteen months - a single morning in September 1983 rewired a decade-long mystery. Who did the freezer preserve, and how did a detail the killer forgot become the chain of evidence that decades later would point to a killer?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries that connect a missing woman, a running freezer in an abandoned grain building, and a preserved sample that stayed in a file for years; the episode traces the facts from Gail O'Connor’s last confirmed sighting to the moment investigators realized the Jane Doe might be her, and asks how a consumer ancestry kit decades later would change everything.

Person: Gail O'Connor
Date: Last confirmed sighting September 14, 1982
Date: Freezer discovered September 4, 1983
Location: Millhaven Road, abandoned grain building
Status: Jane Doe buried in an unmarked grave at Graceland Memorial Cemetery

- Gail O'Connor was thirty-one years old and last seen leaving Beulah's Diner at approximately 8:40 PM on September 14, 1982.
- Gail’s car, a copper-brown 1979 Buick Skylark, was found unlocked two days later in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot on Route 51, seven miles from the diner.
- The freezer at the Millhaven Road building was plugged through clapboard with an orange extension cord and had been drawing power continuously for between four and fourteen months according to the utility meter.
- Detective Sergeant Mike Abboud preserved tissue samples from the Jane Doe before she was buried and noted the evidence in the case file.
- Gail’s dental records were destroyed in a flood, making a dental comparison inconclusive.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1166falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-levee-cup-how-a-sealed-envelope-broke-a-30-year-murder-mystery--73055959
A retired schoolteacher found a sealed, evidence-taped manila envelope wedged in a drainage culvert on the Cahaba levee in August 2022 - the envelope had been marked "HOLMES H. - Aug, 14, 1991. DO NOT DESTROY" and had been missing for three years from a thirty-year cold case. How did a cup logged as evidence in 1991 vanish and reappear decades later to finally produce a DNA match?

In this episode, we tell how that envelope and a Speedway gas station cup connected to Holly Holmes resurfaced, what investigators knew about Holly's last night on August 14, 1991, and why the sealed evidence altered the case's course - could a single misplaced piece of evidence rewrite thirty years of investigation?

Person: Holly Holmes
Date: August 14, 1991
Location: Kessler Mill Road apartment; drainage swale off Kessler Mill Road; Cahaba levee
Event: Body found strangled; time of death placed the evening of August 14, 1991
Item: Speedway large white gas station cup sealed as evidence, labeled "HOLMES H. AUG 14 1991 DO NOT DESTROY"

- Beverly Osborne found a sealed manila envelope in a green garbage bag at 7:43 AM on a Tuesday in August 2022.
- The envelope had been marked by deputies in 1991 with "HOLMES H." and "DO NOT DESTROY" and had been missing for three years.
- Holly Holmes, age 53 in summer 1991 (she had told others she was 49 or 47), was found strangled in a drainage swale on August 16, 1991; time of death was the evening of August 14, 1991.
- Deputy Alton Greer recovered a large white Speedway cup from behind the driver’s seat on August 16, 1991, sealed it with evidence tape and logged it into the Shelby County property room.
- By the time investigators reached the levee in 2022, there was already a DNA match waiting in a lab database, providing a name they had not had for thirty years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055959Sat, 29 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Levee Cup: How a Sealed Envelope Broke a 30-Year Murder Mystery A retired schoolteacher found a sealed, evidence-taped manila envelope wedged in a drainage culvert on the Cahaba levee in August 2022 - the envelope had been marked "HOLMES H. -...
A retired schoolteacher found a sealed, evidence-taped manila envelope wedged in a drainage culvert on the Cahaba levee in August 2022 - the envelope had been marked "HOLMES H. - Aug, 14, 1991. DO NOT DESTROY" and had been missing for three years from a thirty-year cold case. How did a cup logged as evidence in 1991 vanish and reappear decades later to finally produce a DNA match?

In this episode, we tell how that envelope and a Speedway gas station cup connected to Holly Holmes resurfaced, what investigators knew about Holly's last night on August 14, 1991, and why the sealed evidence altered the case's course - could a single misplaced piece of evidence rewrite thirty years of investigation?

Person: Holly Holmes
Date: August 14, 1991
Location: Kessler Mill Road apartment; drainage swale off Kessler Mill Road; Cahaba levee
Event: Body found strangled; time of death placed the evening of August 14, 1991
Item: Speedway large white gas station cup sealed as evidence, labeled "HOLMES H. AUG 14 1991 DO NOT DESTROY"

- Beverly Osborne found a sealed manila envelope in a green garbage bag at 7:43 AM on a Tuesday in August 2022.
- The envelope had been marked by deputies in 1991 with "HOLMES H." and "DO NOT DESTROY" and had been missing for three years.
- Holly Holmes, age 53 in summer 1991 (she had told others she was 49 or 47), was found strangled in a drainage swale on August 16, 1991; time of death was the evening of August 14, 1991.
- Deputy Alton Greer recovered a large white Speedway cup from behind the driver’s seat on August 16, 1991, sealed it with evidence tape and logged it into the Shelby County property room.
- By the time investigators reached the levee in 2022, there was already a DNA match waiting in a lab database, providing a name they had not had for thirty years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1205falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-screen-propped-open-how-an-82-year-old-was-finally-caught--73055958
A carefully propped screen, a single left sneaker in the entryway, and a postal scale moved exactly two inches - three concrete oddities that outlasted every lead for thirty-one years. How did a voluntary DNA swab from an 82-year-old man and a family tree built by a former librarian finally close the silence around Denise Peterson's disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Megan Fisher found the porch light still on and the screen door propped open to the July 2022 swab that broke the case. The episode covers the physical clues left at 14 Wicker Lane and the unexpected forensic and genealogical steps that answered the question: who had the knowledge and access to leave a screen leaning against the house?

Person: Denise Peterson
Date: July 9, 1991
Location: 14 Wicker Lane, Calverton, Ohio
Age: 44
Breakthrough: July 2022 voluntary DNA swab from an 82-year-old man

- A single white left sneaker, size eight with lace still tied, was found in the entryway.
- Pirate the one-eyed orange tomcat was unfed at 5:00 a.m., his food bowl empty from the night before.
- A postal scale on the kitchen counter had been moved exactly two inches from its usual spot.
- The rear utility-room window screen was set carefully against the siding and the window was unlocked.
- A partial unidentified palm print was lifted from the underside of the postal scale and remained unmatched until the 2022 genetic breakthrough.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055958Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Screen Propped Open: How an 82-Year-Old Was Finally Caught A carefully propped screen, a single left sneaker in the entryway, and a postal scale moved exactly two inches - three concrete oddities that outlasted every lead for thirty-one years....
A carefully propped screen, a single left sneaker in the entryway, and a postal scale moved exactly two inches - three concrete oddities that outlasted every lead for thirty-one years. How did a voluntary DNA swab from an 82-year-old man and a family tree built by a former librarian finally close the silence around Denise Peterson's disappearance?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Megan Fisher found the porch light still on and the screen door propped open to the July 2022 swab that broke the case. The episode covers the physical clues left at 14 Wicker Lane and the unexpected forensic and genealogical steps that answered the question: who had the knowledge and access to leave a screen leaning against the house?

Person: Denise Peterson
Date: July 9, 1991
Location: 14 Wicker Lane, Calverton, Ohio
Age: 44
Breakthrough: July 2022 voluntary DNA swab from an 82-year-old man

- A single white left sneaker, size eight with lace still tied, was found in the entryway.
- Pirate the one-eyed orange tomcat was unfed at 5:00 a.m., his food bowl empty from the night before.
- A postal scale on the kitchen counter had been moved exactly two inches from its usual spot.
- The rear utility-room window screen was set carefully against the siding and the window was unlocked.
- A partial unidentified palm print was lifted from the underside of the postal scale and remained unmatched until the 2022 genetic breakthrough.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1341falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-midnight-receipt-that-broke-a-30-year-silence--73055957
Fear and curiosity collide: the body of missing delivery supervisor Jeffrey Carlson was found in a frozen field 11 miles west of Parris after nearly thirty years, and a laminated company ID was found flat inside his rib cage-placed as if deliberately. What connects a midnight gas-station receipt from the night before he vanished, two refrigeration service visits with an unreturned key, and those final, routine Wednesday calls?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Jeffrey disappeared to the discovery that reopened the case, following the evidence that links his patterned life to unexpected anomalies. How did a late-night receipt and a missing equipment key become the threads that changed everything?

Person: Jeffrey Carlson
Date: June 10, 1992 (disappearance)
Location: eleven miles west of Parris (remains); County Road Seven (personal vehicle)
Status: identified by state forensic examiner in February 2022
Topic: gas station receipt timestamped 11:47 p.m.; unreturned key for equipment area

- Jeffrey called his mother every Wednesday at 5:30 a.m, for six years without missing a single call.
- He disappeared on Wednesday, June 10, 1992; his delivery truck was found with keys in ignition and refrigeration units running.
- His personal gray Chevrolet Cavalier was found nine days later on County Road Seven, three miles from where his remains were found.
- A manila envelope labeled "MISCELLANEOUS - VEHICLE" held a gas station receipt timestamped 11:47 p.m. the Tuesday before he vanished.
- Berry Refrigeration serviced Lakemont Provisions twice in May 1992 and was issued a key to the equipment area that was never returned.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055957Thu, 27 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Midnight Receipt That Broke a 30-Year Silence Fear and curiosity collide: the body of missing delivery supervisor Jeffrey Carlson was found in a frozen field 11 miles west of Parris after nearly thirty years, and a laminated company ID was...
Fear and curiosity collide: the body of missing delivery supervisor Jeffrey Carlson was found in a frozen field 11 miles west of Parris after nearly thirty years, and a laminated company ID was found flat inside his rib cage-placed as if deliberately. What connects a midnight gas-station receipt from the night before he vanished, two refrigeration service visits with an unreturned key, and those final, routine Wednesday calls?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning Jeffrey disappeared to the discovery that reopened the case, following the evidence that links his patterned life to unexpected anomalies. How did a late-night receipt and a missing equipment key become the threads that changed everything?

Person: Jeffrey Carlson
Date: June 10, 1992 (disappearance)
Location: eleven miles west of Parris (remains); County Road Seven (personal vehicle)
Status: identified by state forensic examiner in February 2022
Topic: gas station receipt timestamped 11:47 p.m.; unreturned key for equipment area

- Jeffrey called his mother every Wednesday at 5:30 a.m, for six years without missing a single call.
- He disappeared on Wednesday, June 10, 1992; his delivery truck was found with keys in ignition and refrigeration units running.
- His personal gray Chevrolet Cavalier was found nine days later on County Road Seven, three miles from where his remains were found.
- A manila envelope labeled "MISCELLANEOUS - VEHICLE" held a gas station receipt timestamped 11:47 p.m. the Tuesday before he vanished.
- Berry Refrigeration serviced Lakemont Provisions twice in May 1992 and was issued a key to the equipment area that was never returned.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1224falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-the-library-card-and-a-year-s-silence-revealed--73055955
A frozen bundle wrapped in a moving blanket was found in a side yard with a new brass hasp - and a laminated library card reading "CYNTHIA MORGAN" placed deliberately on top. Thirteen years after Cynthia vanished, investigators uncovered blunt force trauma to her skull and a DNA profile that had been sitting unmatched in the national database; who left the card as a signature, and why hide her where the power cord lay coiled beside it?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline from Cynthia Morgan's disappearance in May 2006 to the discovery on May 11, 2019, detailing the evidence found at the car and the freezer and the lingering unanswered leads that tie them together. What do the locked freezer, the library card, and the years of silence reveal about who knew and who moved on?

Person: Cynthia Morgan
Date: May 2006 (disappearance) and May 11, 2019 (freezer discovery)
Location: Birch Hollow Pike, Calloway, Indiana
Status: Missing person case with human remains; blunt force trauma to posterior skull
Evidence: Laminated Calloway Public Library card dated Member since 1991

- Cynthia Morgan was 54 years old when she disappeared in May 2006.
- Cynthia's 2003 Pontiac was found on Birch Hollow Pike with keys in the ignition and a flat rear left tire.
- A DNA profile was swabbed from the driver's headrest in 2006 and entered into the national database with no match.
- A tenant had been renting the nearby property from 2004 and paid the last two months in cash in summer 2007, leaving no forwarding address.
- On May 11, 2019, investigators found a freezer bolted with a brass combination hasp containing two layers of black contractor bags and a sealed moving blanket with Cynthia's laminated library card placed on top.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055955Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer, the Library Card, and a Year's Silence Revealed A frozen bundle wrapped in a moving blanket was found in a side yard with a new brass hasp - and a laminated library card reading "CYNTHIA MORGAN" placed deliberately on top. Thirteen...
A frozen bundle wrapped in a moving blanket was found in a side yard with a new brass hasp - and a laminated library card reading "CYNTHIA MORGAN" placed deliberately on top. Thirteen years after Cynthia vanished, investigators uncovered blunt force trauma to her skull and a DNA profile that had been sitting unmatched in the national database; who left the card as a signature, and why hide her where the power cord lay coiled beside it?

In this episode, we walk through the timeline from Cynthia Morgan's disappearance in May 2006 to the discovery on May 11, 2019, detailing the evidence found at the car and the freezer and the lingering unanswered leads that tie them together. What do the locked freezer, the library card, and the years of silence reveal about who knew and who moved on?

Person: Cynthia Morgan
Date: May 2006 (disappearance) and May 11, 2019 (freezer discovery)
Location: Birch Hollow Pike, Calloway, Indiana
Status: Missing person case with human remains; blunt force trauma to posterior skull
Evidence: Laminated Calloway Public Library card dated Member since 1991

- Cynthia Morgan was 54 years old when she disappeared in May 2006.
- Cynthia's 2003 Pontiac was found on Birch Hollow Pike with keys in the ignition and a flat rear left tire.
- A DNA profile was swabbed from the driver's headrest in 2006 and entered into the national database with no match.
- A tenant had been renting the nearby property from 2004 and paid the last two months in cash in summer 2007, leaving no forwarding address.
- On May 11, 2019, investigators found a freezer bolted with a brass combination hasp containing two layers of black contractor bags and a sealed moving blanket with Cynthia's laminated library card placed on top.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1178falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-sneaker-that-exposed-a-31-year-wrong-manhood--73055954
A single dry size-seven sneaker sat upright on a rain-darkened culvert, its tongue flat and laced, shielding a pale dry oval beneath it - a detail that no one could explain for thirty-one years. What did that dry patch mean, and how did one overlooked swab and a strand of degraded DNA eventually unravel a case that had weighed on a wrong man for decades?

In this episode, we follow the documentation, photos, and files spanning from April 13-14, 1993 through a 2023 cold-case review to see how evidence and timelines were rediscovered and reinterpreted; could a preserved biological swab and a long-held photograph finally answer who was responsible?

Person: Frances Watson
Date: April 14, 1993
Location: Teller Basin Park drainage culvert
Person: Paul Ennis
Investigator: Howard Finch

- Frances Watson was 22 years old at the time her sneaker was found.
- The sneaker was a women's size seven white canvas, laced with tongue flat, sitting upright on the culvert lip.
- Douglas Ramsey discovered the sneaker on the morning of April 14, 1993.
- Detective Howard Finch, aged 41, placed eight accordion folders labeled with "Watson, Frances M., 04/13/93" on the cold case shelf before retiring in 2007.
- A single biological swab from the 1993 autopsy remained sealed in the evidence freezer and was flagged "Do not destroy. Technology may improve."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055954Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Sneaker That Exposed a 31-Year Wrong Manhood A single dry size-seven sneaker sat upright on a rain-darkened culvert, its tongue flat and laced, shielding a pale dry oval beneath it - a detail that no one could explain for thirty-one years....
A single dry size-seven sneaker sat upright on a rain-darkened culvert, its tongue flat and laced, shielding a pale dry oval beneath it - a detail that no one could explain for thirty-one years. What did that dry patch mean, and how did one overlooked swab and a strand of degraded DNA eventually unravel a case that had weighed on a wrong man for decades?

In this episode, we follow the documentation, photos, and files spanning from April 13-14, 1993 through a 2023 cold-case review to see how evidence and timelines were rediscovered and reinterpreted; could a preserved biological swab and a long-held photograph finally answer who was responsible?

Person: Frances Watson
Date: April 14, 1993
Location: Teller Basin Park drainage culvert
Person: Paul Ennis
Investigator: Howard Finch

- Frances Watson was 22 years old at the time her sneaker was found.
- The sneaker was a women's size seven white canvas, laced with tongue flat, sitting upright on the culvert lip.
- Douglas Ramsey discovered the sneaker on the morning of April 14, 1993.
- Detective Howard Finch, aged 41, placed eight accordion folders labeled with "Watson, Frances M., 04/13/93" on the cold case shelf before retiring in 2007.
- A single biological swab from the 1993 autopsy remained sealed in the evidence freezer and was flagged "Do not destroy. Technology may improve."

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1374falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-boot-on-the-patio-how-a-dna-tree-broke-a-29-year-silence--73055951
A single dry work boot on a snow-dusted patio went unexplained for 29 years until a partial DNA profile and a public ancestry database traced a family tree of more than 2,000 people and pointed to a 63-year-old woman in a Fort Wayne suburb. Why was the boot placed after 1:45 a.m. on March 8, 1991, and who left it there while Grant Olson lay dead inside his locked house?

In this episode, we tell how a routine route, a missing padlock, a neighborhood dispute, and a decades-old touch DNA sample came together to reopen and ultimately solve a long-cold case. Listen to how investigators moved from a missing boot and a suspicious neighbor to genetic genealogy and the name that finally broke the silence.

Person: Grant Olson
Date: March 8, 1991
Location: 44 Halcott Drive, Vellum Falls, Michigan
Status: Solved through forensic genetic genealogy
Event: Body found inside locked house; dry boot on rear patio

- The boot was placed after 1:45 a.m. on March 8, 1991, because surrounding surfaces had a quarter inch of overnight snow while the boot was dry.
- Grant Olson was 38 years old and had worked at Vellum Falls Fabrication for nine years at the time of his death.
- Neighbors reported Grant’s daily morning walk occurred between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m., and he failed to appear on the morning of March 8.
- A cellar bulkhead rear door had no padlock because the hardware had been lost before Grant moved in and he never replaced it.
- In fall 2017, a forensic genetic genealogist built a family tree of more than 2,000 individuals from a partial DNA profile, tracing to a third cousin twice removed in Ohio and identifying a 63-year-old woman in an Indiana suburb.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055951Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Boot on the Patio: How a DNA Tree Broke a 29-Year Silence A single dry work boot on a snow-dusted patio went unexplained for 29 years until a partial DNA profile and a public ancestry database traced a family tree of more than 2,000 people...
A single dry work boot on a snow-dusted patio went unexplained for 29 years until a partial DNA profile and a public ancestry database traced a family tree of more than 2,000 people and pointed to a 63-year-old woman in a Fort Wayne suburb. Why was the boot placed after 1:45 a.m. on March 8, 1991, and who left it there while Grant Olson lay dead inside his locked house?

In this episode, we tell how a routine route, a missing padlock, a neighborhood dispute, and a decades-old touch DNA sample came together to reopen and ultimately solve a long-cold case. Listen to how investigators moved from a missing boot and a suspicious neighbor to genetic genealogy and the name that finally broke the silence.

Person: Grant Olson
Date: March 8, 1991
Location: 44 Halcott Drive, Vellum Falls, Michigan
Status: Solved through forensic genetic genealogy
Event: Body found inside locked house; dry boot on rear patio

- The boot was placed after 1:45 a.m. on March 8, 1991, because surrounding surfaces had a quarter inch of overnight snow while the boot was dry.
- Grant Olson was 38 years old and had worked at Vellum Falls Fabrication for nine years at the time of his death.
- Neighbors reported Grant’s daily morning walk occurred between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m., and he failed to appear on the morning of March 8.
- A cellar bulkhead rear door had no padlock because the hardware had been lost before Grant moved in and he never replaced it.
- In fall 2017, a forensic genetic genealogist built a family tree of more than 2,000 individuals from a partial DNA profile, tracing to a third cousin twice removed in Ohio and identifying a 63-year-old woman in an Indiana suburb.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1179falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-folded-her-glasses-how-a-pencil-eraser-solved-a-murder--73055949
The folded reading glasses beside Janet Price’s left hip stopped investigators cold in February 1993-neatly set, not scattered-and a pencil-eraser sized swab stored for twenty-nine years held the only trace that might name her killer. Who left those glasses folded, and could a fragment of degraded biological material finally answer that question?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Janet’s routine life in Halverton and the discovery of her body after a Tuesday volunteer shift to the frozen evidence that sat untouched for decades. We trace how a retired detective’s saved file and a call from his daughter led investigators back to the Halverton County evidence facility-and the question of whether the tiny sample could reveal the man who folded her glasses.

Person: Janet Price
Date: February 10-11, 1993
Location: Redeemer Lutheran, Halverton County
Evidence: swab from beneath right thumbnail, size of a pencil eraser, frozen in long-term storage
Investigator: Det. Paul Trent retrieved the sample in October 2022

- Janet Price was 58 years old and had lived in Halverton for 31 years.
- Time of death was estimated eight to eleven hours before discovery, placing it in the late evening of February 10, 1993.
- Forty-three dollars and a library card were found in her wallet; nothing was taken from her person.
- A trace biological sample was collected beneath her right thumbnail by Dr. Frances Ibarra on February 11, 1993.
- The evidence swab remained frozen and untouched in Halverton County’s long-term cold storage for 29 years until retrieved in October 2022.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055949Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Folded Her Glasses: How a Pencil-Eraser Solved a Murder The folded reading glasses beside Janet Price’s left hip stopped investigators cold in February 1993-neatly set, not scattered-and a pencil-eraser sized swab stored for twenty-nine...
The folded reading glasses beside Janet Price’s left hip stopped investigators cold in February 1993-neatly set, not scattered-and a pencil-eraser sized swab stored for twenty-nine years held the only trace that might name her killer. Who left those glasses folded, and could a fragment of degraded biological material finally answer that question?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Janet’s routine life in Halverton and the discovery of her body after a Tuesday volunteer shift to the frozen evidence that sat untouched for decades. We trace how a retired detective’s saved file and a call from his daughter led investigators back to the Halverton County evidence facility-and the question of whether the tiny sample could reveal the man who folded her glasses.

Person: Janet Price
Date: February 10-11, 1993
Location: Redeemer Lutheran, Halverton County
Evidence: swab from beneath right thumbnail, size of a pencil eraser, frozen in long-term storage
Investigator: Det. Paul Trent retrieved the sample in October 2022

- Janet Price was 58 years old and had lived in Halverton for 31 years.
- Time of death was estimated eight to eleven hours before discovery, placing it in the late evening of February 10, 1993.
- Forty-three dollars and a library card were found in her wallet; nothing was taken from her person.
- A trace biological sample was collected beneath her right thumbnail by Dr. Frances Ibarra on February 11, 1993.
- The evidence swab remained frozen and untouched in Halverton County’s long-term cold storage for 29 years until retrieved in October 2022.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1346falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-in-freezer-three-how-a-saliva-swab-solved-a-murder--73055948
Cold, precise details: a left hand with coral pink nails broke through frozen mud on January 9, 1987, and Dawn Lawson lay buried for four days until a coroner swabbed her clothing and neck and locked those envelopes in Evidence Freezer Three - but it took thirty-one years and a consumer saliva kit to close the case. How did a tube of spit mailed for ancestry connect to a murder that baffled generations?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Dawn Lawson's last confirmed sighting to the forensic decisions that preserved two contact swabs, and we follow the chain that led a 2017 DNA profile to match a consumer ancestry sample - raising the question of what it cost to wait that long.

Person: Dawn Lawson
Date found: January 9, 1987
Age: 24
Cause of death: Strangulation
Evidence location: Evidence Freezer Three

- Dawn Lawson was last seen moving east along Hollander Street at approximately 11:45 PM on January 4, 1987.
- The body was discovered four days later between two sycamore trees in Kellerman Creek Nature Preserve.
- Dr. Philip Nance swabbed two contact points (the victim's clothing and her neck) and placed each sample in a separately labeled envelope.
- The case was logged under Dunmore PD Case 87-0041 and the swabs were placed in Evidence Freezer Three.
- In the fall of 2017, a DNA profile from the state laboratory matched a consumer ancestry saliva swab sent by Cheryl Dunton the previous summer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055948Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope in Freezer Three: How a Saliva Swab Solved a Murder Cold, precise details: a left hand with coral pink nails broke through frozen mud on January 9, 1987, and Dawn Lawson lay buried for four days until a coroner swabbed her clothing and...
Cold, precise details: a left hand with coral pink nails broke through frozen mud on January 9, 1987, and Dawn Lawson lay buried for four days until a coroner swabbed her clothing and neck and locked those envelopes in Evidence Freezer Three - but it took thirty-one years and a consumer saliva kit to close the case. How did a tube of spit mailed for ancestry connect to a murder that baffled generations?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Dawn Lawson's last confirmed sighting to the forensic decisions that preserved two contact swabs, and we follow the chain that led a 2017 DNA profile to match a consumer ancestry sample - raising the question of what it cost to wait that long.

Person: Dawn Lawson
Date found: January 9, 1987
Age: 24
Cause of death: Strangulation
Evidence location: Evidence Freezer Three

- Dawn Lawson was last seen moving east along Hollander Street at approximately 11:45 PM on January 4, 1987.
- The body was discovered four days later between two sycamore trees in Kellerman Creek Nature Preserve.
- Dr. Philip Nance swabbed two contact points (the victim's clothing and her neck) and placed each sample in a separately labeled envelope.
- The case was logged under Dunmore PD Case 87-0041 and the swabs were placed in Evidence Freezer Three.
- In the fall of 2017, a DNA profile from the state laboratory matched a consumer ancestry saliva swab sent by Cheryl Dunton the previous summer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-trotline-how-a-running-seiko-cracked-a-30-year-murder--73055946
Fear tightens the throat: a two-tone Seiko watch kept perfect time after thirty hours in near-frozen water while the woman who wore it could not tell us who put her there. A parking stub timestamped 5:48 PM and a river-soaked napkin that reads "call me - R." point to one missing hour and eighteen minutes - who was "R." and what happened during that vanished stretch?

In this episode, we lay out the facts of the case as recorded from December 7-9, 1993 and follow the threads that stretched for thirty years, ending with a breakthrough from faint DNA and genealogy. What single small detail finally cracked a case no confession could solve?

Person: Nicole Slater
Date: December 9, 1993
Location: Cassidy River
Age: 47
Occupation: Reference librarian

- At 7:14 AM on December 9, 1993 Craig Barrett pulled a trotline from four feet of near-frozen water and found a woman's arm tangled in the line.
- The two-tone gold-and-silver Seiko on her wrist was still running; she had been in the river for thirty hours.
- A parking stub in Nicole's coat pocket was timestamped 5:48 PM on December 7, 1993, leaving one hour and eighteen minutes unaccounted for after her 4:30 PM shift end.
- A napkin in her other coat pocket had ink blurred by river water but still read "call me - R." with no surname or phone number.
- Nicole had been attending a six-session Tuesday pottery class at the Harwick Community Center starting in September 1993, which she did not tell friends about.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055946Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Trotline: How a Running Seiko Cracked a 30-Year Murder Fear tightens the throat: a two-tone Seiko watch kept perfect time after thirty hours in near-frozen water while the woman who wore it could not tell us who put her there. A parking stub...
Fear tightens the throat: a two-tone Seiko watch kept perfect time after thirty hours in near-frozen water while the woman who wore it could not tell us who put her there. A parking stub timestamped 5:48 PM and a river-soaked napkin that reads "call me - R." point to one missing hour and eighteen minutes - who was "R." and what happened during that vanished stretch?

In this episode, we lay out the facts of the case as recorded from December 7-9, 1993 and follow the threads that stretched for thirty years, ending with a breakthrough from faint DNA and genealogy. What single small detail finally cracked a case no confession could solve?

Person: Nicole Slater
Date: December 9, 1993
Location: Cassidy River
Age: 47
Occupation: Reference librarian

- At 7:14 AM on December 9, 1993 Craig Barrett pulled a trotline from four feet of near-frozen water and found a woman's arm tangled in the line.
- The two-tone gold-and-silver Seiko on her wrist was still running; she had been in the river for thirty hours.
- A parking stub in Nicole's coat pocket was timestamped 5:48 PM on December 7, 1993, leaving one hour and eighteen minutes unaccounted for after her 4:30 PM shift end.
- A napkin in her other coat pocket had ink blurred by river water but still read "call me - R." with no surname or phone number.
- Nicole had been attending a six-session Tuesday pottery class at the Harwick Community Center starting in September 1993, which she did not tell friends about.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-shoe-on-the-boulder-who-walked-away-without-footprints--73055944
A dry left burgundy pump sat upright on a flat boulder sixty yards from a gravel road after two days of heavy rain - and there were no footprints around it. Thirty-three years later investigators still had to reconcile a precise insulin routine, a missing right shoe, and a suspect who couldn’t account for his time; who placed the shoe and how did they leave without a trace?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the shoe discovery to the house on Cleary Street and the evidence that shaped the investigation, asking whether the physical clues and witness accounts can finally answer who stood on that boulder and why.

Date: November 14, 1991
Person: Kathleen Crawford
Location: Cleary Street, Grover Falls, Pennsylvania
Case: Unresolved death and shoe found on boulder
Investigator: Frank Odell

- The shoe was a single left burgundy pump, size seven, found upright on a flat boulder sixty yards from the road.
- Two days of heavy rain had soaked everything nearby, but the shoe was completely dry with no leaf litter.
- Kathleen Crawford was last seen alive at Feld's Market around 5:15 p.m. on November 11, 1991, buying cat food, a lemon, and a bottle of wine.
- Pepper, an eight-year-old diabetic tabby, required insulin every twelve hours at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; the evening injection scheduled after November 11 had not been given by Kathleen.
- A partial contact DNA sample and other sexual-assault evidence were collected from Kathleen’s jacket and sealed in the county freezer, where they remained for thirty-one years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055944Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Shoe on the Boulder: Who Walked Away Without Footprints? A dry left burgundy pump sat upright on a flat boulder sixty yards from a gravel road after two days of heavy rain - and there were no footprints around it. Thirty-three years later...
A dry left burgundy pump sat upright on a flat boulder sixty yards from a gravel road after two days of heavy rain - and there were no footprints around it. Thirty-three years later investigators still had to reconcile a precise insulin routine, a missing right shoe, and a suspect who couldn’t account for his time; who placed the shoe and how did they leave without a trace?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the shoe discovery to the house on Cleary Street and the evidence that shaped the investigation, asking whether the physical clues and witness accounts can finally answer who stood on that boulder and why.

Date: November 14, 1991
Person: Kathleen Crawford
Location: Cleary Street, Grover Falls, Pennsylvania
Case: Unresolved death and shoe found on boulder
Investigator: Frank Odell

- The shoe was a single left burgundy pump, size seven, found upright on a flat boulder sixty yards from the road.
- Two days of heavy rain had soaked everything nearby, but the shoe was completely dry with no leaf litter.
- Kathleen Crawford was last seen alive at Feld's Market around 5:15 p.m. on November 11, 1991, buying cat food, a lemon, and a bottle of wine.
- Pepper, an eight-year-old diabetic tabby, required insulin every twelve hours at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; the evening injection scheduled after November 11 had not been given by Kathleen.
- A partial contact DNA sample and other sexual-assault evidence were collected from Kathleen’s jacket and sealed in the county freezer, where they remained for thirty-one years.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1319falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cistern-secrets-the-vinyl-bag-that-reopened-a-30-year-vanishing--73055943
Fear tightens when a decades-old quiet life leaves a single trace: a cream vinyl garment bag, standing upright in four feet of black cistern water, weighted with an iron pipe and holding a dry-cleaning tag stamped "Lisa Thompson" and "September 29, 1991" - how did it get there and what did it mean for a thirty-year cold case?

In this episode, we lay out the facts found at the cistern and the timeline of Lisa Thompson’s disappearance, from her last confirmed sighting after a literacy fundraiser to the phone call ritual she kept with her sister; could a single preserved garment tag bridge three decades of unknowns and lead to the truth?

Person: Lisa Thompson
Date: September 29, 1991 (dry-cleaning tag)
Event: Last confirmed sighting October 11, 1991 at approximately 10:15 PM
Location: Harmon Township cistern discovered March, 2022
Status: Jury decision reached October, 2023

- The cistern contained about four feet of standing dark water when the bag was found.
- The vinyl garment bag was weighted with an iron pipe threaded through its lower seam.
- Inside the bag: one dark burgundy wool blazer, a single women's leather pump, and one brass button.
- The dry-cleaning tag on the blazer bore the name "Lisa Thompson" and the date "September 29, 1991."
- Lisa Thompson was fifty-two years old in fall 1991 and had worked fourteen years as a reference librarian.

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055943Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaCistern Secrets: The Vinyl Bag That Reopened a 30-Year Vanishing Fear tightens when a decades-old quiet life leaves a single trace: a cream vinyl garment bag, standing upright in four feet of black cistern water, weighted with an iron pipe and...
Fear tightens when a decades-old quiet life leaves a single trace: a cream vinyl garment bag, standing upright in four feet of black cistern water, weighted with an iron pipe and holding a dry-cleaning tag stamped "Lisa Thompson" and "September 29, 1991" - how did it get there and what did it mean for a thirty-year cold case?

In this episode, we lay out the facts found at the cistern and the timeline of Lisa Thompson’s disappearance, from her last confirmed sighting after a literacy fundraiser to the phone call ritual she kept with her sister; could a single preserved garment tag bridge three decades of unknowns and lead to the truth?

Person: Lisa Thompson
Date: September 29, 1991 (dry-cleaning tag)
Event: Last confirmed sighting October 11, 1991 at approximately 10:15 PM
Location: Harmon Township cistern discovered March, 2022
Status: Jury decision reached October, 2023

- The cistern contained about four feet of standing dark water when the bag was found.
- The vinyl garment bag was weighted with an iron pipe threaded through its lower seam.
- Inside the bag: one dark burgundy wool blazer, a single women's leather pump, and one brass button.
- The dry-cleaning tag on the blazer bore the name "Lisa Thompson" and the date "September 29, 1991."
- Lisa Thompson was fifty-two years old in fall 1991 and had worked fourteen years as a reference librarian.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>918falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bite-that-waited-37-years-how-they-caught-her-killer--73055942
A single forensic detail sat in cold storage for 37 years: two dental-stone casts of distinctive bite marks, sealed at 40°F and still legible decades later. Could a misfiled crew manifest name and degraded fingernail scrapings finally tie a killer to Patricia Riley?

In this episode, we recount the timeline from Patricia Riley’s disappearance after choir on the night of September 5-6, 1979 to the renewed forensic work decades later, and ask how a small administrative note and partial DNA changed everything.

Person: Patricia Riley
Date: September 5-6, 1979
Location: Corbin Pond (near Millrace Road) and Aldermoor
Status: Body found after two days; cause of death strangulation
Evidence: Two dental-stone bite-mark casts and fingernail scrapings

- Patricia Riley was 44 years old and had been missing between about 9:15 PM and found two days later at 6:55 AM.
- The medical examiner placed time of death between 11:00 PM on September 5 and 2:00 AM on September 6.
- Two bite marks included a rotated upper left lateral incisor with a small chip, described as "distinctive" three times by the odontologist.
- The dental-stone casts were logged into the Aldermoor County Sheriff's evidence locker in October 1979 and stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 37 years and 5 months.
- A partial DNA profile from 32-year-old fingernail scrapings yielded 15 usable loci in 2011, insufficient for a CODIS hit.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055942Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Bite That Waited 37 Years: How They Caught Her Killer A single forensic detail sat in cold storage for 37 years: two dental-stone casts of distinctive bite marks, sealed at 40°F and still legible decades later. Could a misfiled crew manifest...
A single forensic detail sat in cold storage for 37 years: two dental-stone casts of distinctive bite marks, sealed at 40°F and still legible decades later. Could a misfiled crew manifest name and degraded fingernail scrapings finally tie a killer to Patricia Riley?

In this episode, we recount the timeline from Patricia Riley’s disappearance after choir on the night of September 5-6, 1979 to the renewed forensic work decades later, and ask how a small administrative note and partial DNA changed everything.

Person: Patricia Riley
Date: September 5-6, 1979
Location: Corbin Pond (near Millrace Road) and Aldermoor
Status: Body found after two days; cause of death strangulation
Evidence: Two dental-stone bite-mark casts and fingernail scrapings

- Patricia Riley was 44 years old and had been missing between about 9:15 PM and found two days later at 6:55 AM.
- The medical examiner placed time of death between 11:00 PM on September 5 and 2:00 AM on September 6.
- Two bite marks included a rotated upper left lateral incisor with a small chip, described as "distinctive" three times by the odontologist.
- The dental-stone casts were logged into the Aldermoor County Sheriff's evidence locker in October 1979 and stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 37 years and 5 months.
- A partial DNA profile from 32-year-old fingernail scrapings yielded 15 usable loci in 2011, insufficient for a CODIS hit.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>869falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-postmaster-s-secret-how-a-turquoise-ring-cracked-a-town-s-silence--73055940
A 28-year-old accountant found face-down in gravel, a single brown oxford standing upright with an American flag pin through its lace - and a turquoise ring that tied decades of silence to one man. Thirty-one years later a genealogist in Beaverton used DNA from beneath the victim’s fingernails to open a case that everyone in Crestlow had presumed closed. Who quietly owned the route Richard drove every Thursday, and how did a family ring become the key?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the last confirmed contact at 8:53 p.m. to the discovery at 6:00 a.m., tracing Richard Roberts’s Thursday routine, the scene at Millbrook Commons, and the stalled investigation that preserved a partial biological sample for three decades - and ask how that sample finally led to a confession.

Person: Richard Roberts
Age: 28
Date: August 13-14, 1991
Location: Millbrook Commons drainage lip, Crestlow, Oregon
Evidence: Partial biological sample collected beneath fingernails, preserved in state evidence storage

- Richard placed a final payphone call at 8:53 p.m. from Millbrook Avenue and Sycamore Street saying his car wouldn't start.
- His 1987 Honda Civic was found two blocks away with keys in the ignition; a mechanic found the engine and battery functioning the next morning.
- A single brown leather oxford was found upright on the concrete drainage lip with an American flag pin threaded through a lace eyelet, forty feet from the body.
- A turquoise oval ring, originally his grandmother Beverly’s, was worn by Richard on the night he disappeared.
- Detective Art Colby collected a partial biological sample from beneath Richard’s fingernails three weeks after a workplace billing dispute; the sample produced a usable DNA profile only decades later.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055940Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Postmaster's Secret: How a Turquoise Ring Cracked a Town's Silence A 28-year-old accountant found face-down in gravel, a single brown oxford standing upright with an American flag pin through its lace - and a turquoise ring that tied decades of...
A 28-year-old accountant found face-down in gravel, a single brown oxford standing upright with an American flag pin through its lace - and a turquoise ring that tied decades of silence to one man. Thirty-one years later a genealogist in Beaverton used DNA from beneath the victim’s fingernails to open a case that everyone in Crestlow had presumed closed. Who quietly owned the route Richard drove every Thursday, and how did a family ring become the key?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the last confirmed contact at 8:53 p.m. to the discovery at 6:00 a.m., tracing Richard Roberts’s Thursday routine, the scene at Millbrook Commons, and the stalled investigation that preserved a partial biological sample for three decades - and ask how that sample finally led to a confession.

Person: Richard Roberts
Age: 28
Date: August 13-14, 1991
Location: Millbrook Commons drainage lip, Crestlow, Oregon
Evidence: Partial biological sample collected beneath fingernails, preserved in state evidence storage

- Richard placed a final payphone call at 8:53 p.m. from Millbrook Avenue and Sycamore Street saying his car wouldn't start.
- His 1987 Honda Civic was found two blocks away with keys in the ignition; a mechanic found the engine and battery functioning the next morning.
- A single brown leather oxford was found upright on the concrete drainage lip with an American flag pin threaded through a lace eyelet, forty feet from the body.
- A turquoise oval ring, originally his grandmother Beverly’s, was worn by Richard on the night he disappeared.
- Detective Art Colby collected a partial biological sample from beneath Richard’s fingernails three weeks after a workplace billing dispute; the sample produced a usable DNA profile only decades later.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1205falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fingerprint-that-slept-29-years-how-justice-woke-up--73055938
A fingerprint survived 29 years inside a shoe found in a drainage ditch eleven miles from where Jennifer Phillips disappeared, waiting for technology that didn't exist in 1993; could a single print finally tell what happened that morning? What happens when a routine DNA kit and decades-old evidence converge to close a case?

In this episode, we tell the story of Jennifer Phillips' disappearance, the evidence preserved by detectives, and the unexpected modern lead that reopened the file - could that preserved fingerprint and a mailed DNA kit solve a three-decade mystery?

Person: Jennifer Phillips
Date: July 19, 1993
Location: Birch Terrace, Harmer; Sutter Mill Road; drainage ditch on Pelham Road
Investigator: Detective Carl Pruitt
Evidence: hair strand sealed August 1993; fingerprint inside a shoe

- Jennifer Phillips was 54 years old and had lived in the same rented house on Birch Terrace for 11 years.
- She left for her routine walk at 4:45 AM on July 19, 1993, and did not return; her car remained in the driveway that day.
- Detective Carl Pruitt collected a strand of Jennifer's hair from her bathroom brush on July 21, 1993, and it was stored in a cryo unit for 29 years.
- A shoe with a preserved fingerprint was found in a drainage ditch four miles from Jennifer's house on August 1, 1993.
- Victor Slade, Jennifer's former brother-in-law and initial suspect, had a hospital admission at 9:17 PM on July 18, 1993, ninety miles away and was discharged the next morning.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055938Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Fingerprint That Slept 29 Years - How Justice Woke Up A fingerprint survived 29 years inside a shoe found in a drainage ditch eleven miles from where Jennifer Phillips disappeared, waiting for technology that didn't exist in 1993; could a...
A fingerprint survived 29 years inside a shoe found in a drainage ditch eleven miles from where Jennifer Phillips disappeared, waiting for technology that didn't exist in 1993; could a single print finally tell what happened that morning? What happens when a routine DNA kit and decades-old evidence converge to close a case?

In this episode, we tell the story of Jennifer Phillips' disappearance, the evidence preserved by detectives, and the unexpected modern lead that reopened the file - could that preserved fingerprint and a mailed DNA kit solve a three-decade mystery?

Person: Jennifer Phillips
Date: July 19, 1993
Location: Birch Terrace, Harmer; Sutter Mill Road; drainage ditch on Pelham Road
Investigator: Detective Carl Pruitt
Evidence: hair strand sealed August 1993; fingerprint inside a shoe

- Jennifer Phillips was 54 years old and had lived in the same rented house on Birch Terrace for 11 years.
- She left for her routine walk at 4:45 AM on July 19, 1993, and did not return; her car remained in the driveway that day.
- Detective Carl Pruitt collected a strand of Jennifer's hair from her bathroom brush on July 21, 1993, and it was stored in a cryo unit for 29 years.
- A shoe with a preserved fingerprint was found in a drainage ditch four miles from Jennifer's house on August 1, 1993.
- Victor Slade, Jennifer's former brother-in-law and initial suspect, had a hospital admission at 9:17 PM on July 18, 1993, ninety miles away and was discharged the next morning.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1098falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-on-maple-run-road-the-license-he-never-lost--73055937
A 31-year-old driver's license found heat-sealed next to skeletal remains in a padlocked chest freezer sparked the end of a cold silence - but why had the killer kept her name all that time? Was the forgotten white pickup truck or the moved driver's seat the clue that finally mattered?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sandra Quinn's June 9, 1991 disappearance through the decades-long misdirection toward an ex-boyfriend, the overlooked witness report about a white pickup, and the eventual breakthroughs that reopened the search for Sandra. How did a genealogy database, a discarded coffee cup, and a routine opt-in lead investigators to the answers hidden for three decades?

Person: Sandra Quinn
Date: June 9, 1991
Location: Pelican Court, Borden; Maple Run Road, Decker Parish, Louisiana
Status: Remains discovered June 14, 2022; license preserved for 31 years
Case: Misfiled witness report about white pickup truck for 30 years

- Sandra Quinn was 23 years old and 5 foot 2 at the time she vanished.
- Her tan 1987 Civic with a cracked side mirror was found locked in the Borden library parking lot on June 11, 1991 with a returned library book inside.
- A neighbor reported seeing a white pickup with a magnetic business-name sign and a cracked passenger mirror parked in front of Sandra's house between 8 and 9 PM on June 9, 1991.
- The driver's seat of Sandra's Civic had been pulled back approximately four inches from where she always kept it.
- The freezer holding Sandra's skeletal remains was discovered June 14, 2022 after an extension cord led a lineman to a padlocked chest freezer; bolt cutters opened the padlock and revealed a Louisiana driver's license heat-sealed in clear plastic.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055937Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer on Maple Run Road: The License He Never Lost A 31-year-old driver's license found heat-sealed next to skeletal remains in a padlocked chest freezer sparked the end of a cold silence - but why had the killer kept her name all that time?...
A 31-year-old driver's license found heat-sealed next to skeletal remains in a padlocked chest freezer sparked the end of a cold silence - but why had the killer kept her name all that time? Was the forgotten white pickup truck or the moved driver's seat the clue that finally mattered?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sandra Quinn's June 9, 1991 disappearance through the decades-long misdirection toward an ex-boyfriend, the overlooked witness report about a white pickup, and the eventual breakthroughs that reopened the search for Sandra. How did a genealogy database, a discarded coffee cup, and a routine opt-in lead investigators to the answers hidden for three decades?

Person: Sandra Quinn
Date: June 9, 1991
Location: Pelican Court, Borden; Maple Run Road, Decker Parish, Louisiana
Status: Remains discovered June 14, 2022; license preserved for 31 years
Case: Misfiled witness report about white pickup truck for 30 years

- Sandra Quinn was 23 years old and 5 foot 2 at the time she vanished.
- Her tan 1987 Civic with a cracked side mirror was found locked in the Borden library parking lot on June 11, 1991 with a returned library book inside.
- A neighbor reported seeing a white pickup with a magnetic business-name sign and a cracked passenger mirror parked in front of Sandra's house between 8 and 9 PM on June 9, 1991.
- The driver's seat of Sandra's Civic had been pulled back approximately four inches from where she always kept it.
- The freezer holding Sandra's skeletal remains was discovered June 14, 2022 after an extension cord led a lineman to a padlocked chest freezer; bolt cutters opened the padlock and revealed a Louisiana driver's license heat-sealed in clear plastic.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1286falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-shoe-on-the-culvert-how-dna-caught-a-killer-after-40-years--73055935
A single tan left shoe, size seven, sat completely dry atop a concrete culvert eighteen inches above a soaked trail after hours of rain - a detail that baffled investigators for four decades and would only be explained by a DNA break through. Who left the shoe deliberately, and why did a routing slip initial and a parish birth register across an ocean become the keys to solving Valerie Henderson’s murder?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the May 9, 1983 discovery to the archival decisions and DNA work that reopened the case decades later, asking how preserved evidence and unexpected records finally answered the question of who killed Valerie Henderson.

Person: Valerie Henderson
Date: May 9, 1983
Location: Harwick Creek greenway trail (near Dellman Falls)
Status: Case solved at trial in March 2023 (victim's daughter attended)
Case: Longest cold case in Ohio's recorded history (spanning ~40 years)

- Shoe: single tan left flat shoe, size seven, placed on culvert 18 inches above ground
- Discovery time: 6:22 AM by Eugene Nelson on May 9, 1983
- Victim age: Valerie Henderson was 38 years old
- Evidence archived: biological evidence preserved by detective Phil Marsh before his 2001 retirement
- Breakthrough items: DNA profile sat unmatched for 13 years and identification involved a handwritten Irish parish birth register and a woman in Portland, Oregon

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055935Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Shoe on the Culvert: How DNA Caught a Killer After 40 Years A single tan left shoe, size seven, sat completely dry atop a concrete culvert eighteen inches above a soaked trail after hours of rain - a detail that baffled investigators for...
A single tan left shoe, size seven, sat completely dry atop a concrete culvert eighteen inches above a soaked trail after hours of rain - a detail that baffled investigators for four decades and would only be explained by a DNA break through. Who left the shoe deliberately, and why did a routing slip initial and a parish birth register across an ocean become the keys to solving Valerie Henderson’s murder?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the May 9, 1983 discovery to the archival decisions and DNA work that reopened the case decades later, asking how preserved evidence and unexpected records finally answered the question of who killed Valerie Henderson.

Person: Valerie Henderson
Date: May 9, 1983
Location: Harwick Creek greenway trail (near Dellman Falls)
Status: Case solved at trial in March 2023 (victim's daughter attended)
Case: Longest cold case in Ohio's recorded history (spanning ~40 years)

- Shoe: single tan left flat shoe, size seven, placed on culvert 18 inches above ground
- Discovery time: 6:22 AM by Eugene Nelson on May 9, 1983
- Victim age: Valerie Henderson was 38 years old
- Evidence archived: biological evidence preserved by detective Phil Marsh before his 2001 retirement
- Breakthrough items: DNA profile sat unmatched for 13 years and identification involved a handwritten Irish parish birth register and a woman in Portland, Oregon

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1185falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-garage-envelope-that-finally-broke-a-27-year-silence--73055924
A single human hair, nine centimeters long, sat in the dead man’s right hand and then in a paper envelope labeled by the detective: Davis - Apt four - Hair from right hand - 14 April 1991. For twenty-seven years that envelope waited in a garage between paint cans until its discovery finally pierced a case that had no forced entry, no robbery, and a suspect who was never charged. Who left that hair clutched in Glenn Davis’s fingers, and how did a garage envelope end the silence after nearly three decades?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the April 13-16, 1991 scene to the detective’s careful handling of evidence and the stalled prosecution that followed, tracing the small but decisive trail that kept the case alive; can a single preserved hair and a forgotten envelope resolve a murder that resisted charges for 27 years?

Person: Glenn Davis
Date: April 13-16, 1991
Location: Carver Arms, Dunmore Street, Millhaven, Indiana
Detective: Pat Engel, 44 years old, 16 years with Millhaven Police Department
Evidence: Single human hair, ~9 cm, found in Davis’s right hand

- Time of death estimated between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM on the night of April 13, 1991
- Hair root degraded; 1991 state lab could not produce a DNA profile six weeks after submission
- Envelope labeled by Detective Engel with four handwritten items: Davis; Apt four; Hair from right hand; 14 April, 1991
- Suspect Douglas Hecht lived in Apartment Six, moved out two weeks before the murder, and was seen in the alley the night of April 13
- Prosecution declined to charge Hecht twice due to lack of motive and no physical link to Apartment Six

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055924Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Garage Envelope That Finally Broke a 27‑Year Silence A single human hair, nine centimeters long, sat in the dead man’s right hand and then in a paper envelope labeled by the detective: Davis - Apt four - Hair from right hand - 14 April 1991....
A single human hair, nine centimeters long, sat in the dead man’s right hand and then in a paper envelope labeled by the detective: Davis - Apt four - Hair from right hand - 14 April 1991. For twenty-seven years that envelope waited in a garage between paint cans until its discovery finally pierced a case that had no forced entry, no robbery, and a suspect who was never charged. Who left that hair clutched in Glenn Davis’s fingers, and how did a garage envelope end the silence after nearly three decades?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the April 13-16, 1991 scene to the detective’s careful handling of evidence and the stalled prosecution that followed, tracing the small but decisive trail that kept the case alive; can a single preserved hair and a forgotten envelope resolve a murder that resisted charges for 27 years?

Person: Glenn Davis
Date: April 13-16, 1991
Location: Carver Arms, Dunmore Street, Millhaven, Indiana
Detective: Pat Engel, 44 years old, 16 years with Millhaven Police Department
Evidence: Single human hair, ~9 cm, found in Davis’s right hand

- Time of death estimated between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM on the night of April 13, 1991
- Hair root degraded; 1991 state lab could not produce a DNA profile six weeks after submission
- Envelope labeled by Detective Engel with four handwritten items: Davis; Apt four; Hair from right hand; 14 April, 1991
- Suspect Douglas Hecht lived in Apartment Six, moved out two weeks before the murder, and was seen in the alley the night of April 13
- Prosecution declined to charge Hecht twice due to lack of motive and no physical link to Apartment Six

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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1223falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-in-the-dark-truck-how-a-coffee-cup-broke-a-30-year-silence--73055921
A yellow child's rain boot sat in a church annex for four months while a twenty-six-year-old woman drowned in silence eleven miles away - her kitchen timer still set for 7:00 p.m., eleven freshwater fish unfed, and a receipt from a Clement Avenue pharmacy tucked in her jacket. A partial DNA profile from her collar spent 29 years in an evidence freezer before a consumer DNA search by a woman seeking her father handed investigators a key - but who was the man in the dark work truck watching her that night?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from March 9-20, 1993: Dawn Porter’s routines, the pharmacist’s 5:32 p.m. receipt, eyewitness details about the dark work truck, the discovery of her body, and the preservation and later upgrades to the DNA evidence. How did a single coffee-cup-sized clue and modern consumer DNA searches finally connect a cold-case sample to a living person?

Person: Dawn Porter
Date: March 9-20, 1993
Location: Dellford, Ohio
Status: Homicide; cause of death strangulation
Evidence: Partial DNA profile preserved in Emmett County evidence freezer

- Dawn was 26 years old and worked as a billing clerk at Dellford Regional Medical Center.
- A pharmacist recorded a transaction at 5:32 p.m. on March 9, 1993 and saw a heavyset man in a dark work truck watching Dawn.
- Dawn fed eleven freshwater fish at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; her kitchen timer was set for 7:00 p.m. the night she disappeared.
- Dawn’s body was recovered on March 20, 1993; cause of death was strangulation.
- The partial DNA profile from material on her jacket collar was preserved for 29 years and uploaded to CODIS after being upgraded in 2018.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055921Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man in the Dark Truck: How a Coffee Cup Broke a 30-Year Silence A yellow child's rain boot sat in a church annex for four months while a twenty-six-year-old woman drowned in silence eleven miles away - her kitchen timer still set for 7:00 p.m.,...
A yellow child's rain boot sat in a church annex for four months while a twenty-six-year-old woman drowned in silence eleven miles away - her kitchen timer still set for 7:00 p.m., eleven freshwater fish unfed, and a receipt from a Clement Avenue pharmacy tucked in her jacket. A partial DNA profile from her collar spent 29 years in an evidence freezer before a consumer DNA search by a woman seeking her father handed investigators a key - but who was the man in the dark work truck watching her that night?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from March 9-20, 1993: Dawn Porter’s routines, the pharmacist’s 5:32 p.m. receipt, eyewitness details about the dark work truck, the discovery of her body, and the preservation and later upgrades to the DNA evidence. How did a single coffee-cup-sized clue and modern consumer DNA searches finally connect a cold-case sample to a living person?

Person: Dawn Porter
Date: March 9-20, 1993
Location: Dellford, Ohio
Status: Homicide; cause of death strangulation
Evidence: Partial DNA profile preserved in Emmett County evidence freezer

- Dawn was 26 years old and worked as a billing clerk at Dellford Regional Medical Center.
- A pharmacist recorded a transaction at 5:32 p.m. on March 9, 1993 and saw a heavyset man in a dark work truck watching Dawn.
- Dawn fed eleven freshwater fish at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; her kitchen timer was set for 7:00 p.m. the night she disappeared.
- Dawn’s body was recovered on March 20, 1993; cause of death was strangulation.
- The partial DNA profile from material on her jacket collar was preserved for 29 years and uploaded to CODIS after being upgraded in 2018.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1105falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bone-card-confession-how-a-loyalty-card-unlocked-a-36-year-secret--73055920
A bleached femur found in February 2023 held something impossible: a near-new Midland Express loyalty card tucked inside the bone, tying a 36-year-old disappearance to an object that should have aged far less than the body it accompanied. How did a loyalty card survive inside a bone for decades, and whose disappearance did it finally solve?

In this episode, we follow the evidence from a frozen evidence room and a retired detective’s personal files to a cold truck stop shift that ended with a locked car, a full purse, and a woman who vanished mid-shift; how did a discarded uniform, a partial male DNA profile, and a paper punch card lead investigators to a resolution?

Person: Vicki Vogel
Date: February 4, 1987 (last phone call)
Location: Midland Express Stop on Route 6, Sutter County, Ohio
Investigator: Frank Oser
Evidence: Midland Express loyalty card found in femur (February 2023)

- A retriever found a human femur at the eastern edge of Raymond Meyer Trail in February 2023 after eleven days of an open trail.
- Vicki Vogel was 48 years old and had worked the overnight shift at the Midland Express Stop for eleven years.
- Vicki’s last regular phone call with her daughter Penny was on Wednesday, February 4, 1987; Penny filed a missing persons report around Friday, February 13.
- Investigator Frank Oser recovered a Midland Express paper loyalty card from Vicki’s locker and bagged it in March 1987; it remained in the evidence freezer for 34 years.
- A partial male DNA profile was recovered from Vicki’s bundled uniform in February 1987 and sat in the state database without a match for twenty years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055920Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaBone, Card, Confession: How a Loyalty Card Unlocked a 36-Year Secret A bleached femur found in February 2023 held something impossible: a near-new Midland Express loyalty card tucked inside the bone, tying a 36-year-old disappearance to an object...
A bleached femur found in February 2023 held something impossible: a near-new Midland Express loyalty card tucked inside the bone, tying a 36-year-old disappearance to an object that should have aged far less than the body it accompanied. How did a loyalty card survive inside a bone for decades, and whose disappearance did it finally solve?

In this episode, we follow the evidence from a frozen evidence room and a retired detective’s personal files to a cold truck stop shift that ended with a locked car, a full purse, and a woman who vanished mid-shift; how did a discarded uniform, a partial male DNA profile, and a paper punch card lead investigators to a resolution?

Person: Vicki Vogel
Date: February 4, 1987 (last phone call)
Location: Midland Express Stop on Route 6, Sutter County, Ohio
Investigator: Frank Oser
Evidence: Midland Express loyalty card found in femur (February 2023)

- A retriever found a human femur at the eastern edge of Raymond Meyer Trail in February 2023 after eleven days of an open trail.
- Vicki Vogel was 48 years old and had worked the overnight shift at the Midland Express Stop for eleven years.
- Vicki’s last regular phone call with her daughter Penny was on Wednesday, February 4, 1987; Penny filed a missing persons report around Friday, February 13.
- Investigator Frank Oser recovered a Midland Express paper loyalty card from Vicki’s locker and bagged it in March 1987; it remained in the evidence freezer for 34 years.
- A partial male DNA profile was recovered from Vicki’s bundled uniform in February 1987 and sat in the state database without a match for twenty years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1363falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-trotline-finds-what-31-years-couldn-t-the-kevin-gray-case--73055919
A body pulled from the Aldine River in January 1991 had hands bound with orange nylon cord, a laminated hospital visitor badge threaded through his collar, and no name for thirty-one years - so how did a marginal DNA match and a volunteer genealogist finally break the case in 2022? What the badge, a partial fingerprint, a compass-rose tattoo and a knot tied “by someone who knew exactly what they were doing” couldn’t reveal for decades, one family tree would.

In this episode, you’ll hear the facts of the discovery and the slow, scattered investigation that followed, from the initial evidence logged in 1991 to the cold-file audit in 2004 and the genealogy breakthrough in 2022; did the hospital visitor log hold the clue that was mistakenly assumed away for years?

Person: Kevin Gray
Date: January 9, 1991
Location: Aldine River (east bank)
Status: Identified in fall 2022 after 31 years
Topic: cold case identification via genealogical research

- The body was found face-down with hands bound behind his back using orange nylon cord on January 9, 1991.
- A laminated hospital visitor badge reading "Dennis Fowler" was threaded through the dead man's collar buttonhole and sat in evidence for 13 years before reexamination.
- The man was entered into Covell County system as John Doe number four and buried in the potter's field in February 1991.
- A partial fingerprint from his left thumb, blood type O-positive, a compass-rose tattoo on his right shoulder blade, and a healed left forearm fracture were collected as evidence.
- A volunteer genealogist built a family tree from distant cousin matches over four months and by fall 2022 established the man's identity as Kevin Gray.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055919Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Trotline Finds What 31 Years Couldn't: The Kevin Gray Case A body pulled from the Aldine River in January 1991 had hands bound with orange nylon cord, a laminated hospital visitor badge threaded through his collar, and no name for thirty-one...
A body pulled from the Aldine River in January 1991 had hands bound with orange nylon cord, a laminated hospital visitor badge threaded through his collar, and no name for thirty-one years - so how did a marginal DNA match and a volunteer genealogist finally break the case in 2022? What the badge, a partial fingerprint, a compass-rose tattoo and a knot tied “by someone who knew exactly what they were doing” couldn’t reveal for decades, one family tree would.

In this episode, you’ll hear the facts of the discovery and the slow, scattered investigation that followed, from the initial evidence logged in 1991 to the cold-file audit in 2004 and the genealogy breakthrough in 2022; did the hospital visitor log hold the clue that was mistakenly assumed away for years?

Person: Kevin Gray
Date: January 9, 1991
Location: Aldine River (east bank)
Status: Identified in fall 2022 after 31 years
Topic: cold case identification via genealogical research

- The body was found face-down with hands bound behind his back using orange nylon cord on January 9, 1991.
- A laminated hospital visitor badge reading "Dennis Fowler" was threaded through the dead man's collar buttonhole and sat in evidence for 13 years before reexamination.
- The man was entered into Covell County system as John Doe number four and buried in the potter's field in February 1991.
- A partial fingerprint from his left thumb, blood type O-positive, a compass-rose tattoo on his right shoulder blade, and a healed left forearm fracture were collected as evidence.
- A volunteer genealogist built a family tree from distant cousin matches over four months and by fall 2022 established the man's identity as Kevin Gray.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1268falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-ticked-for-31-years-killer-finally-trapped--73055917
A running wristwatch was found hooked on the very silver maple where a murdered woman was discovered - still keeping perfect time thirty-one years after she died. Who left that watch and why was a single freezer-stored blood vial the piece nobody realized mattered until decades later?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the night of December 10, 1991 through the discovery in February 2023, tracing the people, items, and archival evidence that reopened the case; what role did a community blood-drive vial play in finally answering what happened?

Person: Connie Berry
Date: December 10, 1991 (time of death between 9 and 11 p.m.)
Location: Farmhouse and silver maple on Aldrich Road, Kellner County, Ohio
Item: Seiko wristwatch, cream face, brown leather band, running when found
Evidence: Blood vial from community blood drive stored at -20°C for 31 years, 3 months, 12 days

- Connie Berry was 53 years old and worked 19 years as a billing clerk at Kellner County Regional Medical Center.
- Connie visited her aunt every Tuesday and was logged leaving the assisted-living facility at 8:12 p.m, on December 10, 1991.
- Her body was found approximately 60 yards behind her farmhouse on frozen grass near the silver maple.
- The farmhouse was demolished in 2011 after changing hands twice; the silver maple remained.
- The watch was found by Scott Coleman in February 2023 hanging from a low branch with its clasp fastened and still running.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055917Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Ticked for 31 Years - Killer Finally Trapped A running wristwatch was found hooked on the very silver maple where a murdered woman was discovered - still keeping perfect time thirty-one years after she died. Who left that watch and...
A running wristwatch was found hooked on the very silver maple where a murdered woman was discovered - still keeping perfect time thirty-one years after she died. Who left that watch and why was a single freezer-stored blood vial the piece nobody realized mattered until decades later?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the night of December 10, 1991 through the discovery in February 2023, tracing the people, items, and archival evidence that reopened the case; what role did a community blood-drive vial play in finally answering what happened?

Person: Connie Berry
Date: December 10, 1991 (time of death between 9 and 11 p.m.)
Location: Farmhouse and silver maple on Aldrich Road, Kellner County, Ohio
Item: Seiko wristwatch, cream face, brown leather band, running when found
Evidence: Blood vial from community blood drive stored at -20°C for 31 years, 3 months, 12 days

- Connie Berry was 53 years old and worked 19 years as a billing clerk at Kellner County Regional Medical Center.
- Connie visited her aunt every Tuesday and was logged leaving the assisted-living facility at 8:12 p.m, on December 10, 1991.
- Her body was found approximately 60 yards behind her farmhouse on frozen grass near the silver maple.
- The farmhouse was demolished in 2011 after changing hands twice; the silver maple remained.
- The watch was found by Scott Coleman in February 2023 hanging from a low branch with its clasp fastened and still running.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1217falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/buried-sympathy-card-how-a-30-year-secret-led-to-conviction--73055916
A thirty-year-old sympathy card, postmarked November 9, 1993, was pulled from fourteen inches of soil in 2023-sealed in a grocery bag and degraded, yet carrying biological material that would outlast decades of silence. How did a blank, unaddressed card buried on a vacant lot become the hinge that finally moved a cold case toward conviction?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Pamela Whitley’s last confirmed sighting on November 10, 1993, through the discovery of her remains in 2023, and the forensic genealogy work that unlocked the card’s hidden evidence; what did that sealed object and a single male hair reveal about who had been with Pamela the night she vanished?

Person: Pamela Whitley
Date: November 10, 1993 (last confirmed sighting)
Location: Route Nine, Clarkton, Tennessee (car found on shoulder)
Event: Sympathy card postmarked November 9, 1993 recovered November 14, 2023
Investigator: Detective Keith Harris

- The sympathy card was postmarked November 9, 1993 and found inside a manila envelope in a grocery bag, fourteen inches underground.
- Pamela’s last confirmed sighting was on November 10, 1993 at 4:53 p.m. leaving the hospital parking structure.
- A male hair with a partial DNA profile (five of thirteen loci) was lifted from the driver’s seat headrest and entered into CODIS in 2001 with no match.
- The car was discovered on the shoulder of Route Nine, six miles from the hospital, with the driver’s door closed and Pamela’s purse inside.
- The sympathy card remained in evidence for over two decades until forensic genealogy techniques available in 2023 allowed investigators to extract usable biological information.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055916Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:00:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaBuried Sympathy Card: How a 30-Year Secret Led to Conviction A thirty-year-old sympathy card, postmarked November 9, 1993, was pulled from fourteen inches of soil in 2023-sealed in a grocery bag and degraded, yet carrying biological material that...
A thirty-year-old sympathy card, postmarked November 9, 1993, was pulled from fourteen inches of soil in 2023-sealed in a grocery bag and degraded, yet carrying biological material that would outlast decades of silence. How did a blank, unaddressed card buried on a vacant lot become the hinge that finally moved a cold case toward conviction?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Pamela Whitley’s last confirmed sighting on November 10, 1993, through the discovery of her remains in 2023, and the forensic genealogy work that unlocked the card’s hidden evidence; what did that sealed object and a single male hair reveal about who had been with Pamela the night she vanished?

Person: Pamela Whitley
Date: November 10, 1993 (last confirmed sighting)
Location: Route Nine, Clarkton, Tennessee (car found on shoulder)
Event: Sympathy card postmarked November 9, 1993 recovered November 14, 2023
Investigator: Detective Keith Harris

- The sympathy card was postmarked November 9, 1993 and found inside a manila envelope in a grocery bag, fourteen inches underground.
- Pamela’s last confirmed sighting was on November 10, 1993 at 4:53 p.m. leaving the hospital parking structure.
- A male hair with a partial DNA profile (five of thirteen loci) was lifted from the driver’s seat headrest and entered into CODIS in 2001 with no match.
- The car was discovered on the shoulder of Route Nine, six miles from the hospital, with the driver’s door closed and Pamela’s purse inside.
- The sympathy card remained in evidence for over two decades until forensic genealogy techniques available in 2023 allowed investigators to extract usable biological information.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1302falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-shoe-in-the-maple-tree-the-murder-of-gloria-ward--73055915
A single cognac leather dress shoe, size seven, sat seven feet up in a silver maple for thirty years-surviving floods, ice jams and the decay of time-yet it could not say how it got there. Who left Gloria Ward’s shoe in the tree, and how did one small object finally lead detectives across three decades to an answer?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded from the night Gloria Ward left her billing office on October 9, 1992, to the moment a retired postal worker spotted the shoe in Caulfield Nature Preserve on October 14, 2023. We follow the preserved clues, the empty apartment, the dark sedan in the loading alley, and the genealogist whose family-tree work provided the breakthrough that tied the evidence together.

Person: Gloria Ward
Date: October 9, 1992
Location: Ridgely, Ohio
Event: Shoe discovered in tree on October 14, 2023
Case: Body recovered from drainage culvert in November 1992

- Shoe: Autumn cognac leather dress shoe, size seven, label legible after thirty years
- Discovery: Found wedged seven feet high in a silver maple on October 14, 2023
- Last seen: Left Midstate Supply billing office at 6:15 PM on October 9, 1992
- Vehicle: Gloria’s gray Honda Civic found behind her duplex on October 12 with keys on front seat
- Witness report: Dark sedan idling near Midstate Supply loading alley between 6:00 and 6:30 PM on October 9, 1992

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055915Fri, 07 Aug 2026 13:00:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Shoe in the Maple Tree: The Murder of Gloria Ward A single cognac leather dress shoe, size seven, sat seven feet up in a silver maple for thirty years-surviving floods, ice jams and the decay of time-yet it could not say how it got there. Who...
A single cognac leather dress shoe, size seven, sat seven feet up in a silver maple for thirty years-surviving floods, ice jams and the decay of time-yet it could not say how it got there. Who left Gloria Ward’s shoe in the tree, and how did one small object finally lead detectives across three decades to an answer?

In this episode, we tell what unfolded from the night Gloria Ward left her billing office on October 9, 1992, to the moment a retired postal worker spotted the shoe in Caulfield Nature Preserve on October 14, 2023. We follow the preserved clues, the empty apartment, the dark sedan in the loading alley, and the genealogist whose family-tree work provided the breakthrough that tied the evidence together.

Person: Gloria Ward
Date: October 9, 1992
Location: Ridgely, Ohio
Event: Shoe discovered in tree on October 14, 2023
Case: Body recovered from drainage culvert in November 1992

- Shoe: Autumn cognac leather dress shoe, size seven, label legible after thirty years
- Discovery: Found wedged seven feet high in a silver maple on October 14, 2023
- Last seen: Left Midstate Supply billing office at 6:15 PM on October 9, 1992
- Vehicle: Gloria’s gray Honda Civic found behind her duplex on October 12 with keys on front seat
- Witness report: Dark sedan idling near Midstate Supply loading alley between 6:00 and 6:30 PM on October 9, 1992

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-at-11-47-that-hid-a-man-s-silent-murder--73055914
A Seiko watch was found face-up in a harvested cornfield on September 11, 1983, its hands stopped at 11:47 and its strap buckled at the last hole - but there was no body, no blood, and no footprints. Thirty years later that frozen time matched the exact moment Norman Jones died in his kitchen less than two miles away; how did a child's Christmas gift hold the only clue for three decades?

In this episode, we tell how a found watch, a missing supervisor, and a genealogy database converged to reopen a case that sat in a filing cabinet since the Reagan administration - and ask how routine habits and a sealed evidence envelope hid a murder for thirty years.

Person: Norman Jones
Date: September 11, 1983
Location: harvested cornfield near Cutter Flats, Ohio; Birch Run Road, Harlan County
Status: case went cold; watch shelved for thirty years
Event: watch found with hands stopped at 11:47

- Watch found by 14-year-old Norman Rafferty on September 11, 1983, twenty feet from the road in a harvested cornfield.
- Seiko watch had an uncracked crystal and strap buckled at the last hole, indicating a thick wrist.
- Norman Jones was last seen on Thursday, September 8, 1983, and was 54 years old that summer.
- Norman missed his shift at the corrugated box plant on Friday, September 9, prompting a missing persons report filed the following Monday.
- The watch remained sealed in an evidence envelope in a climate-controlled room for thirty years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055914Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch at 11:47 That Hid a Man's Silent Murder A Seiko watch was found face-up in a harvested cornfield on September 11, 1983, its hands stopped at 11:47 and its strap buckled at the last hole - but there was no body, no blood, and no...
A Seiko watch was found face-up in a harvested cornfield on September 11, 1983, its hands stopped at 11:47 and its strap buckled at the last hole - but there was no body, no blood, and no footprints. Thirty years later that frozen time matched the exact moment Norman Jones died in his kitchen less than two miles away; how did a child's Christmas gift hold the only clue for three decades?

In this episode, we tell how a found watch, a missing supervisor, and a genealogy database converged to reopen a case that sat in a filing cabinet since the Reagan administration - and ask how routine habits and a sealed evidence envelope hid a murder for thirty years.

Person: Norman Jones
Date: September 11, 1983
Location: harvested cornfield near Cutter Flats, Ohio; Birch Run Road, Harlan County
Status: case went cold; watch shelved for thirty years
Event: watch found with hands stopped at 11:47

- Watch found by 14-year-old Norman Rafferty on September 11, 1983, twenty feet from the road in a harvested cornfield.
- Seiko watch had an uncracked crystal and strap buckled at the last hole, indicating a thick wrist.
- Norman Jones was last seen on Thursday, September 8, 1983, and was 54 years old that summer.
- Norman missed his shift at the corrugated box plant on Friday, September 9, prompting a missing persons report filed the following Monday.
- The watch remained sealed in an evidence envelope in a climate-controlled room for thirty years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1315falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-coffee-cup-that-outed-a-killer-how-heather-s-case-broke-open--73055912
A single upright paper coffee cup, lid snapped and undamaged, sat eighteen inches from a frozen body buried under six months of winter - a detail logged for thirty-one years before its meaning was understood. That cup held a full DNA profile that matched no one in 2003, but it posed one question no one could ignore: who placed it there after the snow fell?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Heather Stewart’s routine Tuesday night run for coffee to the discovery of her body on Route 7 six months later. We trace the evidence chain from the Sunoco cup logged as Item 14-C to the lab that extracted a complete DNA profile, asking how a discarded cup became the key link in a case that stalled for decades.

Person: Heather Stewart
Date: August 14, 2002
Location: Route 7 roadside berm
Status: Body discovered February 9, 2003; time of death estimated late summer 2002
Item: 16-ounce paper coffee cup (Item 14-C) with viable DNA

- Heather Stewart was 22 years old when she disappeared after leaving class around 9:00 PM on August 14, 2002.
- Heather’s routine: stop at Sunoco on Route 7 at approximately 9:15 PM, buy a large self-serve coffee, and be home by 9:40 PM.
- Heather’s car was found on August 16, 2002 at a gravel pull-off on Route 7, about three miles west of the Sunoco, with purse and wallet intact and engine cold.
- The body was found on February 9, 2003, partially wrapped in dark plastic sheeting and frozen solid, with estimated time of death in late summer 2002.
- The coffee cup found 18 inches from Heather’s left shoulder produced a complete DNA profile in 2003 that returned no matches in available databases.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055912Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Coffee Cup That Outed a Killer: How Heather's Case Broke Open A single upright paper coffee cup, lid snapped and undamaged, sat eighteen inches from a frozen body buried under six months of winter - a detail logged for thirty-one years before...
A single upright paper coffee cup, lid snapped and undamaged, sat eighteen inches from a frozen body buried under six months of winter - a detail logged for thirty-one years before its meaning was understood. That cup held a full DNA profile that matched no one in 2003, but it posed one question no one could ignore: who placed it there after the snow fell?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Heather Stewart’s routine Tuesday night run for coffee to the discovery of her body on Route 7 six months later. We trace the evidence chain from the Sunoco cup logged as Item 14-C to the lab that extracted a complete DNA profile, asking how a discarded cup became the key link in a case that stalled for decades.

Person: Heather Stewart
Date: August 14, 2002
Location: Route 7 roadside berm
Status: Body discovered February 9, 2003; time of death estimated late summer 2002
Item: 16-ounce paper coffee cup (Item 14-C) with viable DNA

- Heather Stewart was 22 years old when she disappeared after leaving class around 9:00 PM on August 14, 2002.
- Heather’s routine: stop at Sunoco on Route 7 at approximately 9:15 PM, buy a large self-serve coffee, and be home by 9:40 PM.
- Heather’s car was found on August 16, 2002 at a gravel pull-off on Route 7, about three miles west of the Sunoco, with purse and wallet intact and engine cold.
- The body was found on February 9, 2003, partially wrapped in dark plastic sheeting and frozen solid, with estimated time of death in late summer 2002.
- The coffee cup found 18 inches from Heather’s left shoulder produced a complete DNA profile in 2003 that returned no matches in available databases.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1311falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/unit-7-the-freezer-that-waited-26-years-for-justice--73055910
A sealed freezer, a canvas bundle marked "Unit 7 - Bell," and a storage unit rented two months before Donna Bell vanished - the deliberate details in this case promise planned intent, not impulse. Who labeled her and why would someone arrange a running freezer and paid six months in cash before she disappeared?

In this episode, we tell how the scene, the tape, and a frozen DNA swab sat in evidence for twenty-six years and how one preserved sample would eventually restart an investigation: could decades-old skin cells finally point to the person who prepared Unit Seven?

Person: Donna Bell
Date: July 3, 1993 (last seen) / July 14, 1993 (Unit opened)
Location: Route Nine East, Dellwood, Ohio (storage unit)
Status: Case went officially cold in 1996; stored DNA swab preserved for 26 years
Event: Storage unit rented two months before disappearance, paid six months in cash

- Donna Bell was 38 years old and worked the early shift on the pediatric floor, 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Her last notebook insulin entry for her diabetic cat Gus is dated July 2, 1993.
- Her green 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier was found locked two blocks from her Mercer Street apartment with a canvas work bag on the back seat.
- The storage unit had an orange extension cord threaded under the roll-up door and a white chest freezer that was running when opened on July 14, 1993.
- Skin cells from under Donna’s fingernails were sealed and stored by police, producing only a partial DNA profile in 1993 and kept in a freezer for 26 years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055910Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaUnit 7 - The Freezer That Waited 26 Years for Justice A sealed freezer, a canvas bundle marked "Unit 7 - Bell," and a storage unit rented two months before Donna Bell vanished - the deliberate details in this case promise planned intent, not...
A sealed freezer, a canvas bundle marked "Unit 7 - Bell," and a storage unit rented two months before Donna Bell vanished - the deliberate details in this case promise planned intent, not impulse. Who labeled her and why would someone arrange a running freezer and paid six months in cash before she disappeared?

In this episode, we tell how the scene, the tape, and a frozen DNA swab sat in evidence for twenty-six years and how one preserved sample would eventually restart an investigation: could decades-old skin cells finally point to the person who prepared Unit Seven?

Person: Donna Bell
Date: July 3, 1993 (last seen) / July 14, 1993 (Unit opened)
Location: Route Nine East, Dellwood, Ohio (storage unit)
Status: Case went officially cold in 1996; stored DNA swab preserved for 26 years
Event: Storage unit rented two months before disappearance, paid six months in cash

- Donna Bell was 38 years old and worked the early shift on the pediatric floor, 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
- Her last notebook insulin entry for her diabetic cat Gus is dated July 2, 1993.
- Her green 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier was found locked two blocks from her Mercer Street apartment with a canvas work bag on the back seat.
- The storage unit had an orange extension cord threaded under the roll-up door and a white chest freezer that was running when opened on July 14, 1993.
- Skin cells from under Donna’s fingernails were sealed and stored by police, producing only a partial DNA profile in 1993 and kept in a freezer for 26 years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1068falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-kept-time-on-a-murder-nobody-could-solve--73055909
A thirty-year-old Seiko watch was found still ticking after three decades underwater - and its second hand kept moving at 6:40 a.m, on June 14, 2023. That single object connected to the June 9, 1993 disappearance of 32-year-old Denise Campbell pulled a cold case back into light and raised one question: how did a watch survive thirty years and a missing person go unanswered for so long?

In this episode, we follow the events and records that link a preserved cotton swab, a public genealogy match, and a lone librarian to the stalled Harwick P.D. file. You’ll hear how a new DNA profile and a five-foot whiteboard changed the direction of an investigation that had been boxed and shelved for decades - but who did the DNA point to?

Person: Denise Campbell
Date: June 9, 1993
Location: Mercer Street duplex; Harwick
Event: Watch recovered at Garrison Lake on June 14, 2023
Topic: Cold-case genealogy leading from a male DNA profile

- Denise Campbell was 32 years old and worked as a licensed practical nurse on the cardiac unit.
- Last confirmed sighting of Denise was approximately 3:45 p.m, on June 9, 1993, on Callum Street.
- Denise’s gold oval Seiko watch was a Christmas gift from her mother Yvonne in 1988 and was the only item missing from her apartment.
- A male DNA profile was obtained from a 30-year-old cotton swab from under Denise’s fingernails and was generated by a private laboratory in Phoenix in February 2022.
- Uploading that profile to a public genealogical database in March 2022 produced 43 matches, the closest being a woman named Paulette Hogan in her late fifties living in Evansville.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055909Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Kept Time On A Murder Nobody Could Solve A thirty-year-old Seiko watch was found still ticking after three decades underwater - and its second hand kept moving at 6:40 a.m, on June 14, 2023. That single object connected to the June...
A thirty-year-old Seiko watch was found still ticking after three decades underwater - and its second hand kept moving at 6:40 a.m, on June 14, 2023. That single object connected to the June 9, 1993 disappearance of 32-year-old Denise Campbell pulled a cold case back into light and raised one question: how did a watch survive thirty years and a missing person go unanswered for so long?

In this episode, we follow the events and records that link a preserved cotton swab, a public genealogy match, and a lone librarian to the stalled Harwick P.D. file. You’ll hear how a new DNA profile and a five-foot whiteboard changed the direction of an investigation that had been boxed and shelved for decades - but who did the DNA point to?

Person: Denise Campbell
Date: June 9, 1993
Location: Mercer Street duplex; Harwick
Event: Watch recovered at Garrison Lake on June 14, 2023
Topic: Cold-case genealogy leading from a male DNA profile

- Denise Campbell was 32 years old and worked as a licensed practical nurse on the cardiac unit.
- Last confirmed sighting of Denise was approximately 3:45 p.m, on June 9, 1993, on Callum Street.
- Denise’s gold oval Seiko watch was a Christmas gift from her mother Yvonne in 1988 and was the only item missing from her apartment.
- A male DNA profile was obtained from a 30-year-old cotton swab from under Denise’s fingernails and was generated by a private laboratory in Phoenix in February 2022.
- Uploading that profile to a public genealogical database in March 2022 produced 43 matches, the closest being a woman named Paulette Hogan in her late fifties living in Evansville.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1234falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boots-left-upright-how-a-freezer-shirt-broke-22-year-cold-case--73055908
A crawlspace, two steel-toed boots placed upright and still laced, and a folded gray work shirt tucked behind the left boot that sat in a freezer for twenty-one years - why would someone stage shoes in a confined crawlspace and then leave a shirt to be frozen as evidence for over two decades? What connection links a missing pipefitter, a supposed gas-company man in a gray shirt, and a retired analyst whose work would finally crack the case?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Larry Sullivan’s disappearance in early May 2001 to the discovery of his body on May 14, the enduring mystery of the arranged boots and the frozen shirt, and the long hunt for the source of the DNA profile that never matched anyone in CODIS for twenty-one years - who ultimately supplied that link, and why did the killer stage the boots?

Person: Larry Sullivan
Date: May 14, 2001
Location: 419 Kellner Street crawlspace; body found in drainage culvert south of Dunmore, Indiana
Status: Body found after eleven days; shirt swabbed and DNA uploaded to CODIS with no match for twenty-one years
Event: Shirt stored in Dunmore Police Department cold storage for twenty-one years

- Larry Sullivan was twenty-six years old and an apprentice pipefitter when he disappeared in early May 2001.
- Larry’s boots were found eight feet inside the crawlspace, side by side on bare soil, upright and still laced.
- His body was discovered four hours after the boots were found, fourteen miles away in a drainage culvert south of Dunmore, Indiana.
- A gray short-sleeved work shirt was folded behind the left boot, swabbed in 2001, and its DNA profile returned no CODIS hit for twenty-one years.
- Victor Crane, a supervisor who argued with Larry two weeks earlier, had boot size 9.5 whereas the boots in the crawlspace were size 11, and no DNA from the case matched him.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055908Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boots Left Upright: How a Freezer Shirt Broke 22-Year Cold Case A crawlspace, two steel-toed boots placed upright and still laced, and a folded gray work shirt tucked behind the left boot that sat in a freezer for twenty-one years - why would...
A crawlspace, two steel-toed boots placed upright and still laced, and a folded gray work shirt tucked behind the left boot that sat in a freezer for twenty-one years - why would someone stage shoes in a confined crawlspace and then leave a shirt to be frozen as evidence for over two decades? What connection links a missing pipefitter, a supposed gas-company man in a gray shirt, and a retired analyst whose work would finally crack the case?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Larry Sullivan’s disappearance in early May 2001 to the discovery of his body on May 14, the enduring mystery of the arranged boots and the frozen shirt, and the long hunt for the source of the DNA profile that never matched anyone in CODIS for twenty-one years - who ultimately supplied that link, and why did the killer stage the boots?

Person: Larry Sullivan
Date: May 14, 2001
Location: 419 Kellner Street crawlspace; body found in drainage culvert south of Dunmore, Indiana
Status: Body found after eleven days; shirt swabbed and DNA uploaded to CODIS with no match for twenty-one years
Event: Shirt stored in Dunmore Police Department cold storage for twenty-one years

- Larry Sullivan was twenty-six years old and an apprentice pipefitter when he disappeared in early May 2001.
- Larry’s boots were found eight feet inside the crawlspace, side by side on bare soil, upright and still laced.
- His body was discovered four hours after the boots were found, fourteen miles away in a drainage culvert south of Dunmore, Indiana.
- A gray short-sleeved work shirt was folded behind the left boot, swabbed in 2001, and its DNA profile returned no CODIS hit for twenty-one years.
- Victor Crane, a supervisor who argued with Larry two weeks earlier, had boot size 9.5 whereas the boots in the crawlspace were size 11, and no DNA from the case matched him.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-on-the-roof-31-years-that-outsmarted-a-town--73055907
A single dark brown leather work glove sat wedged twelve feet up behind a drainpipe bracket on the north wall of Calvary Lutheran Church for thirty-one years, logged the day Janet Draper was found strangled on April 14, 1991. Someone climbed to that maintenance roof to hide it and left without it-so why did the glove get shelved while a man's life unraveled around the case?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Janet Draper’s predictable routines and the odd hardware receipt in her coat pocket to Detective Bob Crane’s early interviews and the community consequences that fell on a suspect, Walter Fisk. How did a glove and an unchecked receipt sit in evidence while the case-and a community-went in the wrong direction?

Person: Janet Draper
Date: April 14, 1991
Location: Calvary Lutheran Church east alley, Millard, Ohio
Person: Walter Fisk
Evidence: dark brown leather work glove found twelve feet up behind a drainpipe bracket

- Janet Draper was 47 years old and worked as office manager at Dr. Patricia Soane’s pediatric dental practice.
- A receipt from Hendrick True Value dated April 12, 1991 at 6:47 PM was found in Janet’s coat pocket for picture-hanging hardware and wood filler.
- Choir practice ran Fridays 6:00-8:00 PM and Janet did not attend on April 11, 1991.
- Detective Bob Crane interviewed 61 people within three weeks of the discovery and documented neighbors, church members, coworkers, and service personnel.
- Walter Fisk worked church maintenance from 1986 to 1990, lost the Calvary contract in November 1990, had his pickup placed on Wexford Avenue on April 11, and died January 2009 at age 61.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055907Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Glove on the Roof: 31 Years That Outsmarted a Town A single dark brown leather work glove sat wedged twelve feet up behind a drainpipe bracket on the north wall of Calvary Lutheran Church for thirty-one years, logged the day Janet Draper was...
A single dark brown leather work glove sat wedged twelve feet up behind a drainpipe bracket on the north wall of Calvary Lutheran Church for thirty-one years, logged the day Janet Draper was found strangled on April 14, 1991. Someone climbed to that maintenance roof to hide it and left without it-so why did the glove get shelved while a man's life unraveled around the case?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Janet Draper’s predictable routines and the odd hardware receipt in her coat pocket to Detective Bob Crane’s early interviews and the community consequences that fell on a suspect, Walter Fisk. How did a glove and an unchecked receipt sit in evidence while the case-and a community-went in the wrong direction?

Person: Janet Draper
Date: April 14, 1991
Location: Calvary Lutheran Church east alley, Millard, Ohio
Person: Walter Fisk
Evidence: dark brown leather work glove found twelve feet up behind a drainpipe bracket

- Janet Draper was 47 years old and worked as office manager at Dr. Patricia Soane’s pediatric dental practice.
- A receipt from Hendrick True Value dated April 12, 1991 at 6:47 PM was found in Janet’s coat pocket for picture-hanging hardware and wood filler.
- Choir practice ran Fridays 6:00-8:00 PM and Janet did not attend on April 11, 1991.
- Detective Bob Crane interviewed 61 people within three weeks of the discovery and documented neighbors, church members, coworkers, and service personnel.
- Walter Fisk worked church maintenance from 1986 to 1990, lost the Calvary contract in November 1990, had his pickup placed on Wexford Avenue on April 11, and died January 2009 at age 61.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1170falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/watch-stopped-at-2-11-the-secret-that-buried-kenneth-allen--73055904
A thirty-two year silence ended when a golden retriever named Biscuit unearthed skeletal remains and a stainless-steel Seiko watch whose hands were stopped at 2:11 AM - the watch’s caseback engraved with three words: "For the distance." What happened in the dark hours after Kenneth Allen’s last confirmed call at 7:30 PM on March 15, 1990, and why was the watch found four feet east of his skull?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Kenneth’s routine life and last phone call through the stalled eighteen-month investigation and the watch’s discovery in March 2022, and we ask how a perfectly preserved timepiece survived three decades in wet clay and what its position at the scene reveals about the final moments of Kenneth's life.

Person: Kenneth Allen
Date: March 15, 1990
Location: Wickfield Drive and Pelham Creek greenbelt, Dunmore
Status: Remains found March 2022 after 32 years
Object: Seiko watch engraved "For the distance" stopped at 2:11 AM

- Kenneth was 32 years old at the time he disappeared in March 1990.
- His last confirmed contact was a 7:30 PM phone call to Lisa Tran on Thursday, March 15, 1990.
- Brenda Kowalski reported him missing on March 19, 1990 after finding his truck in the driveway and his beagle Fletcher unattended.
- The investigation lasted 18 months after his disappearance and produced no body or physical evidence at the time.
- On a March morning in 2022, remains and a Seiko watch stopped at 2:11 AM were found in a Pelham Creek drainage cut less than two miles from Wickfield Drive.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055904Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaWatch Stopped at 2:11: The Secret That Buried Kenneth Allen A thirty-two year silence ended when a golden retriever named Biscuit unearthed skeletal remains and a stainless-steel Seiko watch whose hands were stopped at 2:11 AM - the watch’s...
A thirty-two year silence ended when a golden retriever named Biscuit unearthed skeletal remains and a stainless-steel Seiko watch whose hands were stopped at 2:11 AM - the watch’s caseback engraved with three words: "For the distance." What happened in the dark hours after Kenneth Allen’s last confirmed call at 7:30 PM on March 15, 1990, and why was the watch found four feet east of his skull?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from Kenneth’s routine life and last phone call through the stalled eighteen-month investigation and the watch’s discovery in March 2022, and we ask how a perfectly preserved timepiece survived three decades in wet clay and what its position at the scene reveals about the final moments of Kenneth's life.

Person: Kenneth Allen
Date: March 15, 1990
Location: Wickfield Drive and Pelham Creek greenbelt, Dunmore
Status: Remains found March 2022 after 32 years
Object: Seiko watch engraved "For the distance" stopped at 2:11 AM

- Kenneth was 32 years old at the time he disappeared in March 1990.
- His last confirmed contact was a 7:30 PM phone call to Lisa Tran on Thursday, March 15, 1990.
- Brenda Kowalski reported him missing on March 19, 1990 after finding his truck in the driveway and his beagle Fletcher unattended.
- The investigation lasted 18 months after his disappearance and produced no body or physical evidence at the time.
- On a March morning in 2022, remains and a Seiko watch stopped at 2:11 AM were found in a Pelham Creek drainage cut less than two miles from Wickfield Drive.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-swab-that-finally-broke-a-22-year-silence--73055900
Fear tightens at the thought that a single sealed swab sat untouched for twenty-two years while a murderer walked free; the item was logged as TB-2003-0214 and stored in a county evidence freezer the same day Emily Bauer’s body was recovered. Who did that swab finally name, and how did it survive two decades of neglect to put a man behind bars?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from Emily Bauer’s disappearance on February 6, 2003, to the recovery of her body in the Soline River three days later, the evidence Dr. Yvonne Chu collected and sealed, and the investigation that stalled for years - culminating in the question of how one preserved fingernail swab changed everything.

Person: Emily Bauer
Date: February 6, 2003 (disappearance) and February 9, 2003 (recovery)
Location: Soline River near Kessler Road bridge; vehicle found on Route Nine eleven miles south
Status: Body recovered; cause of death manual strangulation and blunt-force skull trauma
Evidence: Swab labeled TB-2003-0214 logged into county evidence freezer

- Emily Bauer, age 53, was last seen at approximately 7:15 AM on February 6, 2003, in a hospital parking structure.
- Her gray 2001 Pontiac Grand Am was found with hazard lights cycling and key in ignition, eleven miles south on Route Nine.
- The front right tire had no air because the valve stem had been deliberately removed, not punctured.
- Dr. Yvonne Chu collected material from beneath Emily’s left fingernails, heat-sealed it, and logged it as TB-2003-0214 the afternoon her body was recovered.
- The swab remained unanalyzed in the county evidence freezer for twenty-two years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055900Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer Swab That Finally Broke a 22-Year Silence Fear tightens at the thought that a single sealed swab sat untouched for twenty-two years while a murderer walked free; the item was logged as TB-2003-0214 and stored in a county evidence...
Fear tightens at the thought that a single sealed swab sat untouched for twenty-two years while a murderer walked free; the item was logged as TB-2003-0214 and stored in a county evidence freezer the same day Emily Bauer’s body was recovered. Who did that swab finally name, and how did it survive two decades of neglect to put a man behind bars?

In this episode, you’ll hear the timeline from Emily Bauer’s disappearance on February 6, 2003, to the recovery of her body in the Soline River three days later, the evidence Dr. Yvonne Chu collected and sealed, and the investigation that stalled for years - culminating in the question of how one preserved fingernail swab changed everything.

Person: Emily Bauer
Date: February 6, 2003 (disappearance) and February 9, 2003 (recovery)
Location: Soline River near Kessler Road bridge; vehicle found on Route Nine eleven miles south
Status: Body recovered; cause of death manual strangulation and blunt-force skull trauma
Evidence: Swab labeled TB-2003-0214 logged into county evidence freezer

- Emily Bauer, age 53, was last seen at approximately 7:15 AM on February 6, 2003, in a hospital parking structure.
- Her gray 2001 Pontiac Grand Am was found with hazard lights cycling and key in ignition, eleven miles south on Route Nine.
- The front right tire had no air because the valve stem had been deliberately removed, not punctured.
- Dr. Yvonne Chu collected material from beneath Emily’s left fingernails, heat-sealed it, and logged it as TB-2003-0214 the afternoon her body was recovered.
- The swab remained unanalyzed in the county evidence freezer for twenty-two years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1255falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-the-watch-and-the-secret-that-pulled-her-back--73055899
A chest freezer from around 1983, padlocked and buried for three decades, held a Seiko wristwatch scratched with "E. NOVAK" and stopped at 11:41 - the only physical trace that connected a vanished mother, a cold January night in 1989, and a return to a building after hours. Who gave Emily Novak a reason to go back to the cooperative at 9:47 PM, and why did that single object take twenty-five years to start answering the question?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from the frozen orchard to the cooperative's sign-in log and the long file that never led to charges, exploring the evidence, the people tied to the night of January 15, 1989, and the detail that sat in a purse until a cold-case review in 2014 raised it again - who called Emily back at 9:47 PM?

Person: Emily Novak
Date: January 15, 1989
Location: Tanner County; cooperative parking lot and decommissioned orchard outside Grelle
Event: Seiko wristwatch found in padlocked Kenmore chest freezer on January 14, 2019
Case: Missing person; no indictment by grand jury in 1991

- The freezer was a white Kenmore chest model circa 1983, half-swallowed by earth and padlocked, connected to no power line and with no tracks in the frost.
- The watch had a brown leather band, a cracked crystal, hands stopped at 11:41, and "E. NOVAK" scratched on the back.
- Emily Novak was 44 years old and eight months pregnant when she vanished; her daughter Kim was born in 1989.
- The cooperative sign-in log recorded "E.N., 9:47 PM" on January 15, 1989, an after-hours entry with no scheduled reason.
- Detective Howard Pruitt focused on Dennis Carr, fired in December 1988 and without an alibi for January 15, but a grand jury declined to indict in 1991.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055899Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer, The Watch, And The Secret That Pulled Her Back A chest freezer from around 1983, padlocked and buried for three decades, held a Seiko wristwatch scratched with "E. NOVAK" and stopped at 11:41 - the only physical trace that connected a...
A chest freezer from around 1983, padlocked and buried for three decades, held a Seiko wristwatch scratched with "E. NOVAK" and stopped at 11:41 - the only physical trace that connected a vanished mother, a cold January night in 1989, and a return to a building after hours. Who gave Emily Novak a reason to go back to the cooperative at 9:47 PM, and why did that single object take twenty-five years to start answering the question?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries from the frozen orchard to the cooperative's sign-in log and the long file that never led to charges, exploring the evidence, the people tied to the night of January 15, 1989, and the detail that sat in a purse until a cold-case review in 2014 raised it again - who called Emily back at 9:47 PM?

Person: Emily Novak
Date: January 15, 1989
Location: Tanner County; cooperative parking lot and decommissioned orchard outside Grelle
Event: Seiko wristwatch found in padlocked Kenmore chest freezer on January 14, 2019
Case: Missing person; no indictment by grand jury in 1991

- The freezer was a white Kenmore chest model circa 1983, half-swallowed by earth and padlocked, connected to no power line and with no tracks in the frost.
- The watch had a brown leather band, a cracked crystal, hands stopped at 11:41, and "E. NOVAK" scratched on the back.
- Emily Novak was 44 years old and eight months pregnant when she vanished; her daughter Kim was born in 1989.
- The cooperative sign-in log recorded "E.N., 9:47 PM" on January 15, 1989, an after-hours entry with no scheduled reason.
- Detective Howard Pruitt focused on Dennis Carr, fired in December 1988 and without an alibi for January 15, but a grand jury declined to indict in 1991.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1158falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-kept-a-killer-s-secret-for-31-years--73055897
A forty-dollar Seiko watch sat, crystal intact and still running, on a septic access cover for thirty-one years before reopening a murder that went cold in a week; how did a watch placed recently at a duplex and a thirty-one-year-old bloodstain finally point to a killer? What secret did that ticking object conceal for three decades?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and the people connected to the case, from the last confirmed timecard to the evidence that never fit, and trace how patient records and one genealogist with a laptop revived the investigation-could a routine watch and a handwritten index card solve a thirty-one-year-old murder?

Person: James Norris
Date: December 7, 1993 (last confirmed alive)
Location: Galton Street duplex, Helden, Ohio
Person: Frances Ogle
Event: Watch found December 9, 1993 on septic access cover

- James Norris was 28 years old and worked 12:00 to 8:30 afternoon shift as a press operator at Aldeen Fabrication.
- James punched out at 8:43 p.m. on December 7, 1993, his timecard showing the last confirmed moment he was alive.
- His body was found December 11, 1993 in a drainage ditch about three miles northeast of Helden, with blunt force trauma to the head.
- A Seiko quartz watch given in March 1993 and nine months old was found December 9, 1993 on the concrete lip of the septic cover, crystal unbroken and still running.
- Investigator Frances Ogle noted bleach residue scrubbed into the south unit bathtub walls on a Tuesday-James's usual cleaning day was Sunday-and filed the detail in an index card labeled “what doesn't fit.”

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055897Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Kept a Killer's Secret for 31 Years A forty-dollar Seiko watch sat, crystal intact and still running, on a septic access cover for thirty-one years before reopening a murder that went cold in a week; how did a watch placed recently...
A forty-dollar Seiko watch sat, crystal intact and still running, on a septic access cover for thirty-one years before reopening a murder that went cold in a week; how did a watch placed recently at a duplex and a thirty-one-year-old bloodstain finally point to a killer? What secret did that ticking object conceal for three decades?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of discoveries and the people connected to the case, from the last confirmed timecard to the evidence that never fit, and trace how patient records and one genealogist with a laptop revived the investigation-could a routine watch and a handwritten index card solve a thirty-one-year-old murder?

Person: James Norris
Date: December 7, 1993 (last confirmed alive)
Location: Galton Street duplex, Helden, Ohio
Person: Frances Ogle
Event: Watch found December 9, 1993 on septic access cover

- James Norris was 28 years old and worked 12:00 to 8:30 afternoon shift as a press operator at Aldeen Fabrication.
- James punched out at 8:43 p.m. on December 7, 1993, his timecard showing the last confirmed moment he was alive.
- His body was found December 11, 1993 in a drainage ditch about three miles northeast of Helden, with blunt force trauma to the head.
- A Seiko quartz watch given in March 1993 and nine months old was found December 9, 1993 on the concrete lip of the septic cover, crystal unbroken and still running.
- Investigator Frances Ogle noted bleach residue scrubbed into the south unit bathtub walls on a Tuesday-James's usual cleaning day was Sunday-and filed the detail in an index card labeled “what doesn't fit.”

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1258falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-unraveled-two-missing-women-kellerton-s-hidden-killer--73055896
Cold comfort turned into a chilling discovery: a left shoe reappeared on a gravel bar forty yards from the trail and a single DNA profile sat unmatched for decades-what finally linked two women missing for years, and who planted the shoe where investigators later concluded the killer left it?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Debra Jenkins’s disappearance on November 9, 1991 to the parallel, long-ignored case of Kathleen Farrow and the breakthrough that tied them together, asking how a watch, a toolbox, and one methodical molecular biologist changed everything.

Person: Debra Jenkins
Date: November 9, 1991
Person: Kathleen Farrow
Date: October 1990
Person: Detective Sergeant Howard Pruitt

- Debra Jenkins disappeared at 6:45 AM on November 9, 1991 after leaving for her river trail walk.
- Debra’s right shoe was recovered from a drainage culvert three miles south of the trailhead within 48 hours; her left shoe was missing for 30 years.
- Kathleen Farrow went missing after walking home from church in October 1990 and was classified as a voluntary absence for 33 years.
- Eleven suspects were considered in the Jenkins case and investigators had one DNA profile with no match in criminal databases.
- A metal toolbox containing an item wrapped in a mechanic’s rag was found in a Newcomerstown storage unit by molecular biologist John Osborne after reviewing the cold case file.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055896Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Unraveled Two Missing Women: Kellerton's Hidden Killer Cold comfort turned into a chilling discovery: a left shoe reappeared on a gravel bar forty yards from the trail and a single DNA profile sat unmatched for decades-what finally...
Cold comfort turned into a chilling discovery: a left shoe reappeared on a gravel bar forty yards from the trail and a single DNA profile sat unmatched for decades-what finally linked two women missing for years, and who planted the shoe where investigators later concluded the killer left it?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Debra Jenkins’s disappearance on November 9, 1991 to the parallel, long-ignored case of Kathleen Farrow and the breakthrough that tied them together, asking how a watch, a toolbox, and one methodical molecular biologist changed everything.

Person: Debra Jenkins
Date: November 9, 1991
Person: Kathleen Farrow
Date: October 1990
Person: Detective Sergeant Howard Pruitt

- Debra Jenkins disappeared at 6:45 AM on November 9, 1991 after leaving for her river trail walk.
- Debra’s right shoe was recovered from a drainage culvert three miles south of the trailhead within 48 hours; her left shoe was missing for 30 years.
- Kathleen Farrow went missing after walking home from church in October 1990 and was classified as a voluntary absence for 33 years.
- Eleven suspects were considered in the Jenkins case and investigators had one DNA profile with no match in criminal databases.
- A metal toolbox containing an item wrapped in a mechanic’s rag was found in a Newcomerstown storage unit by molecular biologist John Osborne after reviewing the cold case file.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1184falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-left-shoe-and-the-payphone-how-a-name-broke-silence--73055894
A single left sneaker in a gallon zip‑lock bag, a woman’s name scribbled on a folded note, and seven digits that traced to a payphone removed twenty‑six years earlier - the tiny clue left at a curb in 2022 reopened a thirty‑one‑year‑old murder that had gone cold. How did a payphone call on the night Sarah Thorpe vanished become the thread that unspooled two murders and cleared a wrongfully blamed man?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sarah Thorpe’s disappearance on October 17, 1991 through the discovery on March 4, 2022, and the genetic genealogy work that revived the case, asking how one overlooked detail shifted everything and who placed that call from the Route Nine Sunoco payphone.

Person: Bruce Wells
Date: March 4, 2022
Location: Pembrook Street, Calloway Falls, Ohio
Event: Discovery of left shoe sealed in gallon zip‑lock bag inside chest freezer
Case: Sarah Thorpe disappearance and murder, October 17-18, 1991

- The sneaker was a women’s size seven, left foot, and had been missing for thirty‑one years.
- The note tucked against the shoe contained one woman’s name and seven digits for a payphone removed twenty‑six years earlier.
- Sarah Thorpe disappeared from a birthday hall at 11:15 PM on October 17, 1991 after answering a call at 10:43 PM from the Route Nine Sunoco payphone.
- Sarah’s body was found at 6:45 AM on October 18, 1991 in a drainage ditch on County Road Fourteen; cause of death was strangulation by a thin nylon‑type ligature.
- A partial male DNA profile from skin cells on Sarah’s neck, labeled Unknown Male One, remained unmatched in databases until genetic genealogist Eric Myers uploaded it in January 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055894Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Left Shoe and the Payphone: How a Name Broke Silence A single left sneaker in a gallon zip‑lock bag, a woman’s name scribbled on a folded note, and seven digits that traced to a payphone removed twenty‑six years earlier - the tiny clue left at...
A single left sneaker in a gallon zip‑lock bag, a woman’s name scribbled on a folded note, and seven digits that traced to a payphone removed twenty‑six years earlier - the tiny clue left at a curb in 2022 reopened a thirty‑one‑year‑old murder that had gone cold. How did a payphone call on the night Sarah Thorpe vanished become the thread that unspooled two murders and cleared a wrongfully blamed man?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Sarah Thorpe’s disappearance on October 17, 1991 through the discovery on March 4, 2022, and the genetic genealogy work that revived the case, asking how one overlooked detail shifted everything and who placed that call from the Route Nine Sunoco payphone.

Person: Bruce Wells
Date: March 4, 2022
Location: Pembrook Street, Calloway Falls, Ohio
Event: Discovery of left shoe sealed in gallon zip‑lock bag inside chest freezer
Case: Sarah Thorpe disappearance and murder, October 17-18, 1991

- The sneaker was a women’s size seven, left foot, and had been missing for thirty‑one years.
- The note tucked against the shoe contained one woman’s name and seven digits for a payphone removed twenty‑six years earlier.
- Sarah Thorpe disappeared from a birthday hall at 11:15 PM on October 17, 1991 after answering a call at 10:43 PM from the Route Nine Sunoco payphone.
- Sarah’s body was found at 6:45 AM on October 18, 1991 in a drainage ditch on County Road Fourteen; cause of death was strangulation by a thin nylon‑type ligature.
- A partial male DNA profile from skin cells on Sarah’s neck, labeled Unknown Male One, remained unmatched in databases until genetic genealogist Eric Myers uploaded it in January 2019.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1172falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bite-that-stayed-frozen-how-a-1979-cast-cracked-a-killer--73055892
A frozen wax cast of seven tooth impressions sat untouched in evidence for thirty-six years, the single physical clue from a woman found strangled and hidden in goldenrod on September 4, 1979. Who left a clear upper-arch bite with one chipped incisal edge, and why did the investigation focus on a man whose dentition did not match the cast?

In this episode, we tell what the case file contains and how routine details - a garden notebook, a foreman at the lumberyard, and a cast in a chest freezer - shaped decades of inquiries; what question finally reopened the file and led toward the truth?

Person: Wendy Griffin
Date: September 4, 1979
Location: drainage channel on Vesper Mill Road, Calhoun Falls
Cause: manual strangulation; body moved after death
Evidence: wax cast of seven upper-tooth impressions preserved in a chest freezer for 36 years

- The body was discovered by road grader operator Randy Tillman at sunrise on September 4, 1979, a quarter mile from the nearest occupied house.
- The bite mark on Wendy Griffin's left forearm displayed seven distinct tooth impressions from the upper arch with one chipped incisal edge.
- Wendy Griffin was 38 years old, worked at Vance Lumber, and tended her garden every Wednesday evening from April through October.
- Louis Farber, a foreman at Vance Lumber, had been seen arguing with Wendy about ten days before her death and had no verified alibi for the night of September 3, 1979.
- A Pittsburgh odontologist concluded in 1979 that the wax cast did not match Louis Farber's dentition.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055892Sat, 25 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Bite That Stayed Frozen: How a 1979 Cast Cracked a Killer A frozen wax cast of seven tooth impressions sat untouched in evidence for thirty-six years, the single physical clue from a woman found strangled and hidden in goldenrod on September 4,...
A frozen wax cast of seven tooth impressions sat untouched in evidence for thirty-six years, the single physical clue from a woman found strangled and hidden in goldenrod on September 4, 1979. Who left a clear upper-arch bite with one chipped incisal edge, and why did the investigation focus on a man whose dentition did not match the cast?

In this episode, we tell what the case file contains and how routine details - a garden notebook, a foreman at the lumberyard, and a cast in a chest freezer - shaped decades of inquiries; what question finally reopened the file and led toward the truth?

Person: Wendy Griffin
Date: September 4, 1979
Location: drainage channel on Vesper Mill Road, Calhoun Falls
Cause: manual strangulation; body moved after death
Evidence: wax cast of seven upper-tooth impressions preserved in a chest freezer for 36 years

- The body was discovered by road grader operator Randy Tillman at sunrise on September 4, 1979, a quarter mile from the nearest occupied house.
- The bite mark on Wendy Griffin's left forearm displayed seven distinct tooth impressions from the upper arch with one chipped incisal edge.
- Wendy Griffin was 38 years old, worked at Vance Lumber, and tended her garden every Wednesday evening from April through October.
- Louis Farber, a foreman at Vance Lumber, had been seen arguing with Wendy about ten days before her death and had no verified alibi for the night of September 3, 1979.
- A Pittsburgh odontologist concluded in 1979 that the wax cast did not match Louis Farber's dentition.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1139falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-grocery-list-that-framed-a-small-town-killer--73055891
A routine Thursday walk ends with an olive-green tote and an eight-item grocery list tucked inside a paperback-written in block capitals for someone who had spent twenty-three years handling the town’s mail. Thirty-one years later that printed handwriting will finally crack a case that began with a postmaster who never made it home. Who wrote the list, and why was it in Jean Smith’s bag?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Jean Smith’s last known movements to the discovery of her body on Ridgepost Road and the mysterious envelope found between pages 112 and 113 of her paperback; we ask whether Jean placed the list in her tote herself or whether someone else left it there as a deliberate clue.

Person: Jean Smith
Date: August 8, 1991
Location: Ridgepost Road, Carvell, Oregon
Status: Homicide, cause strangulation, time of death between 6 and 9 PM
Item found: Olive-green canvas tote with romance paperback containing a Carvell Municipal Utilities mailer with an eight-item grocery list printed in blue ballpoint block capitals

- Jean Smith had been Carvell postmaster for 23 years and postmaster for the last 9 years.
- Jean walked four blocks to her sister Norma’s house every Thursday for six years without missing a visit.
- Jean left home between 8:30 and 9:00 PM on August 8, 1991 and did not return; her car remained in the driveway.
- Her body was found four days later, approximately 40 feet off Ridgepost Road, partially covered by arranged sword ferns.
- The grocery list included exactly eight items, including “stamps, quantity twenty,” and was written on the back of a Carvell Municipal Utilities water-bill mailer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055891Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Grocery List That Framed a Small-Town Killer A routine Thursday walk ends with an olive-green tote and an eight-item grocery list tucked inside a paperback-written in block capitals for someone who had spent twenty-three years handling the...
A routine Thursday walk ends with an olive-green tote and an eight-item grocery list tucked inside a paperback-written in block capitals for someone who had spent twenty-three years handling the town’s mail. Thirty-one years later that printed handwriting will finally crack a case that began with a postmaster who never made it home. Who wrote the list, and why was it in Jean Smith’s bag?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Jean Smith’s last known movements to the discovery of her body on Ridgepost Road and the mysterious envelope found between pages 112 and 113 of her paperback; we ask whether Jean placed the list in her tote herself or whether someone else left it there as a deliberate clue.

Person: Jean Smith
Date: August 8, 1991
Location: Ridgepost Road, Carvell, Oregon
Status: Homicide, cause strangulation, time of death between 6 and 9 PM
Item found: Olive-green canvas tote with romance paperback containing a Carvell Municipal Utilities mailer with an eight-item grocery list printed in blue ballpoint block capitals

- Jean Smith had been Carvell postmaster for 23 years and postmaster for the last 9 years.
- Jean walked four blocks to her sister Norma’s house every Thursday for six years without missing a visit.
- Jean left home between 8:30 and 9:00 PM on August 8, 1991 and did not return; her car remained in the driveway.
- Her body was found four days later, approximately 40 feet off Ridgepost Road, partially covered by arranged sword ferns.
- The grocery list included exactly eight items, including “stamps, quantity twenty,” and was written on the back of a Carvell Municipal Utilities water-bill mailer.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1455falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glove-in-the-drain-how-dna-broke-a-31-year-silence--73055889
Fear and relief collide: a latex glove turned inside out, stained with industrial Permaseal, sat beneath Sharon Bailey’s shoulder blade for 31 years before DNA finally pointed investigators toward a man who had been in the building two days earlier-so how did that glove end up in a drainage channel one block from her apartment in July 1993?

In this episode, we lay out the facts of Sharon Bailey’s last night, the evidence preserved in a freezer, and the breakthrough steps that connected a state cold-case grant, a genealogist, and distant home-DNA uploads to a retired contractor-could a single inverted glove and a trace of refrigerant sealant finally close the case?

Person: Sharon Bailey
Date: July 9, 1993
Location: Dellard, Illinois
Item: Latex glove (inside out) with orange-rust Permaseal residue
Age: Sharon was 24 years old

- The glove was found at 6:15 AM on July 9, 1993 by Ruth Burns, a 51-year-old retired school librarian.
- Sharon left a coworker’s apartment at approximately 9:45 PM on July 8, 1993 and was one block from her building when she disappeared.
- The interior stain was identified as Permaseal, an industrial refrigerant sealant distributed only to licensed HVAC contractors.
- Three employees had access to Building C’s service entrance; two were cleared quickly, the third-Ralph Vickers, 31 at the time-cooperated with detectives and was not arrested then.
- In summer 2024 a forensic genealogist on a state cold-case grant received a database match within 72 hours after a home DNA kit was uploaded by a 67-year-old in Tucson and another relative in Fort Wayne used a different last name for 21 years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055889Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:00:12 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Glove in the Drain: How DNA Broke a 31-Year Silence Fear and relief collide: a latex glove turned inside out, stained with industrial Permaseal, sat beneath Sharon Bailey’s shoulder blade for 31 years before DNA finally pointed investigators...
Fear and relief collide: a latex glove turned inside out, stained with industrial Permaseal, sat beneath Sharon Bailey’s shoulder blade for 31 years before DNA finally pointed investigators toward a man who had been in the building two days earlier-so how did that glove end up in a drainage channel one block from her apartment in July 1993?

In this episode, we lay out the facts of Sharon Bailey’s last night, the evidence preserved in a freezer, and the breakthrough steps that connected a state cold-case grant, a genealogist, and distant home-DNA uploads to a retired contractor-could a single inverted glove and a trace of refrigerant sealant finally close the case?

Person: Sharon Bailey
Date: July 9, 1993
Location: Dellard, Illinois
Item: Latex glove (inside out) with orange-rust Permaseal residue
Age: Sharon was 24 years old

- The glove was found at 6:15 AM on July 9, 1993 by Ruth Burns, a 51-year-old retired school librarian.
- Sharon left a coworker’s apartment at approximately 9:45 PM on July 8, 1993 and was one block from her building when she disappeared.
- The interior stain was identified as Permaseal, an industrial refrigerant sealant distributed only to licensed HVAC contractors.
- Three employees had access to Building C’s service entrance; two were cleared quickly, the third-Ralph Vickers, 31 at the time-cooperated with detectives and was not arrested then.
- In summer 2024 a forensic genealogist on a state cold-case grant received a database match within 72 hours after a home DNA kit was uploaded by a 67-year-old in Tucson and another relative in Fort Wayne used a different last name for 21 years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1157falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-plumber-who-walked-out-how-dna-cracked-28-year-silence--73055887
In this episode, we lay out the timeline from the morning Diane found the unlocked house through the decades-long cold case and the moment modern DNA testing and genealogy reopened everything. How did a partial profile from beneath April’s fingernails, a plumber’s crew note, and one genealogist’s persistence lead to answers?

Person: April Dempsey
Date: June 9, 1994
Location: 4 Aldercroft Lane, Tanner Falls, Ohio
Status: Cold for 28 years; DNA reanalyzed in 2019
Investigator: Linda Marshall (Harker County Cold Case Unit)

- April was 48 years old in spring 1994 and had lived at 4 Aldercroft Lane since 1983.
- Diane Henderson found the unlocked house and lights on the morning of June 9, 1994 after April missed her Wednesday call.
- Investigators recovered a degraded partial DNA profile from beneath April’s fingernails and stored it in a forensic freezer for 25 years.
- Hadley Plumbing and Mechanical had performed repair work at 4 Aldercroft Lane in March 1994; no individual worker was interviewed alone.
- In 2019 Linda Marshall requested reanalysis using short tandem repeat technology and the degraded partial profile returned as a complete profile.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055887Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Plumber Who Walked Out: How DNA Cracked 28-Year Silence In this episode, we lay out the timeline from the morning Diane found the unlocked house through the decades-long cold case and the moment modern DNA testing and genealogy reopened...
In this episode, we lay out the timeline from the morning Diane found the unlocked house through the decades-long cold case and the moment modern DNA testing and genealogy reopened everything. How did a partial profile from beneath April’s fingernails, a plumber’s crew note, and one genealogist’s persistence lead to answers?

Person: April Dempsey
Date: June 9, 1994
Location: 4 Aldercroft Lane, Tanner Falls, Ohio
Status: Cold for 28 years; DNA reanalyzed in 2019
Investigator: Linda Marshall (Harker County Cold Case Unit)

- April was 48 years old in spring 1994 and had lived at 4 Aldercroft Lane since 1983.
- Diane Henderson found the unlocked house and lights on the morning of June 9, 1994 after April missed her Wednesday call.
- Investigators recovered a degraded partial DNA profile from beneath April’s fingernails and stored it in a forensic freezer for 25 years.
- Hadley Plumbing and Mechanical had performed repair work at 4 Aldercroft Lane in March 1994; no individual worker was interviewed alone.
- In 2019 Linda Marshall requested reanalysis using short tandem repeat technology and the degraded partial profile returned as a complete profile.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1214falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-shoe-in-the-drainage-ditch-the-roger-rafferty-case--73055886
A man found face-down in a drainage easement, one brown oxford still on his right foot and the left foot bare - his wallet with $42 and a Sunoco card untouched - and a blunt-force wound to the back of his skull. Thirty-seven years passed with a dried blood sample from a parking-structure wall and a missing shoe as the only stubborn clues; what finally shifted the case decades later?

In this episode, we lay out the known facts of Roger Rafferty’s disappearance and death, the scene found by Terry Sloane on May 14, 1983, and the stalled investigation that followed, asking whether inventory disputes, a suspect seen nearby, or the unidentified blood sample held the answer that prosecutors could not prove.

Person: Roger Rafferty
Date found: May 14, 1983
Location: drainage easement behind the Millhaven Civic Center
Status: deceased; cause blunt-force trauma to posterior skull
Investigator: Detective Frank Noonan

- Body estimated to have been there between six and ten days when found.
- Wallet contained forty-two dollars and a Sunoco credit card; nothing reported stolen.
- Roger was thirty-one and had worked four years as parts coordinator at Fenton Brothers Agricultural.
- A 1979 Ford pickup belonging to Roger was found two blocks away with key in ignition and driver door unlocked.
- A blood sample from a parking-structure wall sixty feet from the easement did not match Roger’s blood type.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055886Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaOne Shoe in the Drainage Ditch: The Roger Rafferty Case A man found face-down in a drainage easement, one brown oxford still on his right foot and the left foot bare - his wallet with $42 and a Sunoco card untouched - and a blunt-force wound to the...
A man found face-down in a drainage easement, one brown oxford still on his right foot and the left foot bare - his wallet with $42 and a Sunoco card untouched - and a blunt-force wound to the back of his skull. Thirty-seven years passed with a dried blood sample from a parking-structure wall and a missing shoe as the only stubborn clues; what finally shifted the case decades later?

In this episode, we lay out the known facts of Roger Rafferty’s disappearance and death, the scene found by Terry Sloane on May 14, 1983, and the stalled investigation that followed, asking whether inventory disputes, a suspect seen nearby, or the unidentified blood sample held the answer that prosecutors could not prove.

Person: Roger Rafferty
Date found: May 14, 1983
Location: drainage easement behind the Millhaven Civic Center
Status: deceased; cause blunt-force trauma to posterior skull
Investigator: Detective Frank Noonan

- Body estimated to have been there between six and ten days when found.
- Wallet contained forty-two dollars and a Sunoco credit card; nothing reported stolen.
- Roger was thirty-one and had worked four years as parts coordinator at Fenton Brothers Agricultural.
- A 1979 Ford pickup belonging to Roger was found two blocks away with key in ignition and driver door unlocked.
- A blood sample from a parking-structure wall sixty feet from the easement did not match Roger’s blood type.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1156falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-dog-finds-the-clue-that-solves-a-30-year-murder-the-dennis-hunter-case--73055884
Fear and disbelief collide: an evidence envelope sat in a drainage ditch all winter, its ink bled but five words still readable - "Hunter - hair - right hand - do not destroy." Four strands of dark brown hair, root-bulbs intact, had been clenched in Dennis Hunter’s fist for thirty years; how did that envelope travel from a retired sergeant’s garage to a culvert and finally into a dog’s mouth, and who did those hairs belong to?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events laid out in the case file and witness how ordinary, accidental steps returned a piece of evidence that had been missing for decades. Listen to how the envelope resurfaced, what it contained, and why that single physical item reopened the question of who killed Dennis Hunter.

Person: Dennis Hunter
Date: April 8, 1994
Location: Ridgeway Fabricating, west Kellum, Tennessee
Status: Cold case reopened (evidence recovered April 2024)
Investigator: Sergeant Donald Frey

- Dennis Hunter was 51 years old and had worked at Ridgeway Fabricating for 23 years.
- He died from a single blow to the base of his skull on the night of April 8, 1994.
- Four strands of dark brown hair with root-bulbs intact were found clenched in his right hand.
- Sergeant Donald Frey signed out the evidence and stored the envelope in his garage for 17 years.
- In April 2024 a walker’s golden retriever retrieved a water-stained brown paper envelope from a drainage ditch containing the original glassine pouch stamped April 1994.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055884Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:00:03 +0000Creator at ObomediaA Dog Finds the Clue That Solves a 30-Year Murder: The Dennis Hunter Case Fear and disbelief collide: an evidence envelope sat in a drainage ditch all winter, its ink bled but five words still readable - "Hunter - hair - right hand - do not...
Fear and disbelief collide: an evidence envelope sat in a drainage ditch all winter, its ink bled but five words still readable - "Hunter - hair - right hand - do not destroy." Four strands of dark brown hair, root-bulbs intact, had been clenched in Dennis Hunter’s fist for thirty years; how did that envelope travel from a retired sergeant’s garage to a culvert and finally into a dog’s mouth, and who did those hairs belong to?

In this episode, we follow the chain of events laid out in the case file and witness how ordinary, accidental steps returned a piece of evidence that had been missing for decades. Listen to how the envelope resurfaced, what it contained, and why that single physical item reopened the question of who killed Dennis Hunter.

Person: Dennis Hunter
Date: April 8, 1994
Location: Ridgeway Fabricating, west Kellum, Tennessee
Status: Cold case reopened (evidence recovered April 2024)
Investigator: Sergeant Donald Frey

- Dennis Hunter was 51 years old and had worked at Ridgeway Fabricating for 23 years.
- He died from a single blow to the base of his skull on the night of April 8, 1994.
- Four strands of dark brown hair with root-bulbs intact were found clenched in his right hand.
- Sergeant Donald Frey signed out the evidence and stored the envelope in his garage for 17 years.
- In April 2024 a walker’s golden retriever retrieved a water-stained brown paper envelope from a drainage ditch containing the original glassine pouch stamped April 1994.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1234falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-creek-kept-time-watch-that-breathed-life-into-a-killer-s-truth--73055883
A running Seiko wristwatch sat two feet underwater for thirty-one days and still kept perfect time - despite its owner being buried upstream. How did that watch end up exactly one and a half miles downstream from a Sycamore Bend Road bridge, and what secret did its survival hold about a killing that would stay unsolved for twenty-one years?

In this episode, we tell the story of Sherry Quinn, the missing watch, the cold case file that sat dormant, and the forensic genealogist who revisited an incomplete DNA profile in August 2021; could an overlooked wristwatch and a prepaid phone trace finally point to a killer?

Person: Sherry Quinn
Date: March 7-9, 2002
Location: Colter Creek / Sycamore Bend Road, Farwell, Tennessee
Status: Case remained unresolved until genetic genealogy review in August 2021
Event: Gold-tone Seiko wristwatch found running after 31 days submerged

- The Seiko wristwatch was underwater for 31 days and remained running when retrieved.
- Sherry Quinn was 44 years old and worked nights, leaving through the back door at 6:15 a.m. daily.
- Her body was recovered March 9, 2002, in a drainage channel about 1.5 miles downstream from Sycamore Bend Road bridge.
- Investigators recorded six incoming calls from one unregistered number in the 14 days before March 7, 2002.
- The prepaid phone linked to those calls was activated at a convenience store in Calloway, Tennessee, 22 miles from Farwell.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055883Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:22:17 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Creek Kept Time: Watch That Breathed Life Into a Killer's Truth A running Seiko wristwatch sat two feet underwater for thirty-one days and still kept perfect time - despite its owner being buried upstream. How did that watch end up exactly one...
A running Seiko wristwatch sat two feet underwater for thirty-one days and still kept perfect time - despite its owner being buried upstream. How did that watch end up exactly one and a half miles downstream from a Sycamore Bend Road bridge, and what secret did its survival hold about a killing that would stay unsolved for twenty-one years?

In this episode, we tell the story of Sherry Quinn, the missing watch, the cold case file that sat dormant, and the forensic genealogist who revisited an incomplete DNA profile in August 2021; could an overlooked wristwatch and a prepaid phone trace finally point to a killer?

Person: Sherry Quinn
Date: March 7-9, 2002
Location: Colter Creek / Sycamore Bend Road, Farwell, Tennessee
Status: Case remained unresolved until genetic genealogy review in August 2021
Event: Gold-tone Seiko wristwatch found running after 31 days submerged

- The Seiko wristwatch was underwater for 31 days and remained running when retrieved.
- Sherry Quinn was 44 years old and worked nights, leaving through the back door at 6:15 a.m. daily.
- Her body was recovered March 9, 2002, in a drainage channel about 1.5 miles downstream from Sycamore Bend Road bridge.
- Investigators recorded six incoming calls from one unregistered number in the 14 days before March 7, 2002.
- The prepaid phone linked to those calls was activated at a convenience store in Calloway, Tennessee, 22 miles from Farwell.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1209falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cedar-post-watch-how-a-32-year-secret-unraveled-a-killer--73055881
Cold, clay, and a watch stuck in a field for thirty-two years: a Seiko with its date window frozen at the seventh and the engraving G.R., '86 turned a routine survey into the hinge that reopened a murder. How did a tiny watch, found in a cup of hard clay and photographed by a county surveyor, become the single object that pulled together a vanished woman, a decades-old evidence box, and a DNA lead no one expected?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a February 11, 2019 field find back to the night Gail Roberts disappeared on February 7, 1987, and through the investigative threads-witness interviews, a preserved evidence kit, and a partial touch-DNA profile-that eventually converged. What chain of preserved evidence and overlooked details allowed thirty-two years of fragments to align into an answer?

Person: Gail Roberts
Date: February 7, 1987
Location: Old Kellum Road (car) and drainage ditch 300 yards away
Find Date: February 11, 2019
Evidence: Seiko watch engraved "G.R., '86" with date window frozen at 7

- The Seiko watch was found by county surveyor Janet Wallace in a frozen fallow field on February 11, 2019.
- The watch had been sitting in a cup of hard clay for thirty-two years and was intact with bracelet clasped.
- Gail Roberts, age 28, disappeared on the evening of February 7, 1987; her car was found the next morning and her body that afternoon.
- The drainage ditch where Gail was found was approximately 300 yards from her car; time of death placed between 7 and 11 p.m.
- A partial touch-DNA profile from Gail's coat collar, collected in 1987, was preserved in a state crime lab freezer for thirty-two years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055881Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:22:14 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Cedar Post Watch: How a 32-Year Secret Unraveled a Killer Cold, clay, and a watch stuck in a field for thirty-two years: a Seiko with its date window frozen at the seventh and the engraving G.R., '86 turned a routine survey into the hinge that...
Cold, clay, and a watch stuck in a field for thirty-two years: a Seiko with its date window frozen at the seventh and the engraving G.R., '86 turned a routine survey into the hinge that reopened a murder. How did a tiny watch, found in a cup of hard clay and photographed by a county surveyor, become the single object that pulled together a vanished woman, a decades-old evidence box, and a DNA lead no one expected?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from a February 11, 2019 field find back to the night Gail Roberts disappeared on February 7, 1987, and through the investigative threads-witness interviews, a preserved evidence kit, and a partial touch-DNA profile-that eventually converged. What chain of preserved evidence and overlooked details allowed thirty-two years of fragments to align into an answer?

Person: Gail Roberts
Date: February 7, 1987
Location: Old Kellum Road (car) and drainage ditch 300 yards away
Find Date: February 11, 2019
Evidence: Seiko watch engraved "G.R., '86" with date window frozen at 7

- The Seiko watch was found by county surveyor Janet Wallace in a frozen fallow field on February 11, 2019.
- The watch had been sitting in a cup of hard clay for thirty-two years and was intact with bracelet clasped.
- Gail Roberts, age 28, disappeared on the evening of February 7, 1987; her car was found the next morning and her body that afternoon.
- The drainage ditch where Gail was found was approximately 300 yards from her car; time of death placed between 7 and 11 p.m.
- A partial touch-DNA profile from Gail's coat collar, collected in 1987, was preserved in a state crime lab freezer for thirty-two years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1212falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-septic-tank-mistake-that-exposed-a-killer-after-13-years--73055880
A truck driver noticed a septic tank in the wrong place, and that small mismatch unlocked a body buried four feet underground that had been hidden for thirteen years. A swab taken from a Buick LeSabre door handle in January 2009 sat in a freezer until genetic genealogy and preserved evidence finally connected the dots - but how did a plumber's work order become the key to a murder trial?

In this episode, we walk through the chain of preserved evidence, the investigative decisions made over more than a decade, and the moment a misplaced septic tank work order redirected a cold case. What exactly linked a yellowed driver's license buried in Illinois soil to a man in a Decatur duplex and the woman who had been missing since 2009?

Person: Christine Schmidt
Date: January 15, 2009
Location: Brentfield, Missouri
Event: Buick LeSabre found wiped clean at park-and-ride off Interstate 55
Status: Partial DNA profile preserved for 13 years

- Christine Schmidt turned 52 in fall 2008 and had retired from medical billing about a year before she disappeared.
- Christine was last seen leaving for dinner on January 15, 2009; her car remained in her driveway.
- A Buick LeSabre (2005 model) was found six days later at a park-and-ride off Interstate 55 with its interior wiped clean.
- A technician swabbed the driver's side door pull handle in January 2009 and the sample was sealed and frozen for 13 years.
- Victor Mabry voluntarily provided a cheek swab in 2010; his DNA did not match the preserved profile.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055880Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:22:11 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Septic Tank Mistake That Exposed a Killer After 13 Years A truck driver noticed a septic tank in the wrong place, and that small mismatch unlocked a body buried four feet underground that had been hidden for thirteen years. A swab taken from a...
A truck driver noticed a septic tank in the wrong place, and that small mismatch unlocked a body buried four feet underground that had been hidden for thirteen years. A swab taken from a Buick LeSabre door handle in January 2009 sat in a freezer until genetic genealogy and preserved evidence finally connected the dots - but how did a plumber's work order become the key to a murder trial?

In this episode, we walk through the chain of preserved evidence, the investigative decisions made over more than a decade, and the moment a misplaced septic tank work order redirected a cold case. What exactly linked a yellowed driver's license buried in Illinois soil to a man in a Decatur duplex and the woman who had been missing since 2009?

Person: Christine Schmidt
Date: January 15, 2009
Location: Brentfield, Missouri
Event: Buick LeSabre found wiped clean at park-and-ride off Interstate 55
Status: Partial DNA profile preserved for 13 years

- Christine Schmidt turned 52 in fall 2008 and had retired from medical billing about a year before she disappeared.
- Christine was last seen leaving for dinner on January 15, 2009; her car remained in her driveway.
- A Buick LeSabre (2005 model) was found six days later at a park-and-ride off Interstate 55 with its interior wiped clean.
- A technician swabbed the driver's side door pull handle in January 2009 and the sample was sealed and frozen for 13 years.
- Victor Mabry voluntarily provided a cheek swab in 2010; his DNA did not match the preserved profile.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1276falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tarp-the-pay-phone-and-the-blood-kept-frozen-for-31-years--73055877
The frozen blood vial sat at -80°C for 31 years after a clerical error kept it mislabeled - and the cells never died. A man who vanished after a Thursday dinner, a tarp with a faded stenciled number, and a one-minute pay phone call forty-seven minutes after the last sighting: which thread ties them to a killer?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Craig Stewart’s last confirmed sighting to the discovery in the drainage ditch and the clerical mistake that preserved a blood sample for decades, asking whether that preserved evidence finally answers what Craig saw and who killed him.

Person: Craig Stewart
Date: December 5-19, 1991
Location: drainage ditch three miles east of town
Event: pay phone call at 10:04 PM lasting less than one minute
Status: blood vial mislabeled and stored at -80°C for 31 years

- Craig Stewart was 22 years old in 1991 and worked as a press brake operator on the south side of town.
- Craig missed his regular Thursday dinner with his mother on December 5, 1991, and was last seen at 9:17 PM leaving his apartment.
- Melissa Brown found Craig’s body on December 19, 1991, wrapped under a dark green contractor-grade tarp weighted with rocks in a drainage ditch.
- The medical examiner ruled cause of death blunt-force trauma to the posterior skull; no weapon was recovered.
- A pay phone at the Route Nine gas station placed a call to Craig’s home at 10:04 PM on the night of December 14, 1991, lasting less than one minute.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055877Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:22:07 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Tarp, the Pay Phone and the Blood Kept Frozen for 31 Years The frozen blood vial sat at -80°C for 31 years after a clerical error kept it mislabeled - and the cells never died. A man who vanished after a Thursday dinner, a tarp with a faded...
The frozen blood vial sat at -80°C for 31 years after a clerical error kept it mislabeled - and the cells never died. A man who vanished after a Thursday dinner, a tarp with a faded stenciled number, and a one-minute pay phone call forty-seven minutes after the last sighting: which thread ties them to a killer?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Craig Stewart’s last confirmed sighting to the discovery in the drainage ditch and the clerical mistake that preserved a blood sample for decades, asking whether that preserved evidence finally answers what Craig saw and who killed him.

Person: Craig Stewart
Date: December 5-19, 1991
Location: drainage ditch three miles east of town
Event: pay phone call at 10:04 PM lasting less than one minute
Status: blood vial mislabeled and stored at -80°C for 31 years

- Craig Stewart was 22 years old in 1991 and worked as a press brake operator on the south side of town.
- Craig missed his regular Thursday dinner with his mother on December 5, 1991, and was last seen at 9:17 PM leaving his apartment.
- Melissa Brown found Craig’s body on December 19, 1991, wrapped under a dark green contractor-grade tarp weighted with rocks in a drainage ditch.
- The medical examiner ruled cause of death blunt-force trauma to the posterior skull; no weapon was recovered.
- A pay phone at the Route Nine gas station placed a call to Craig’s home at 10:04 PM on the night of December 14, 1991, lasting less than one minute.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1340falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-forgotten-stamp-that-cracked-a-31-year-murder-mystery--73055876
A forgotten postage stamp sealed in a paper evidence bag sat in cold storage for three decades until someone tested its adhesive and generated a partial DNA lead that reopened a 31-year-old strangulation homicide. How did a single stamp, an old partial DNA profile, and a retired detective's home file finally turn into a conviction?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Dawn Walker was found to the years the case sat cold, and trace how a contracted analyst revisiting a four-hundred-page file spotted the overlooked envelopes that changed everything. What exactly on page eleven shifted the investigation after thirty-one years?

Person: Dawn Walker
Age: 37
Date: November 14, 1991
Location: 414 Caldwell Drive, Linden Parish
Cause of death: Strangulation

- The paper carrier found the house with every interior light on at approximately 6:40 a.m.
- The furnace breaker had been switched off and the interior temperature at 7:12 a.m. was 41°F while outside was 28°F.
- Dawn Walker’s glass of orange juice showed ice crystals consistent with cooling below 34°F, supporting a time-of-death window between 11:30 p.m. Nov 13 and 1:30 a.m. Nov 14.
- Detective Lou Farris’s active investigation produced a file of approximately 400 pages before the case went cold by spring 1993.
- In June 2022, 54-year-old Gordon Novak began reviewing the four-hundred-page file and reached the scene report noting two envelopes on page eleven.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055876Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:22:04 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Forgotten Stamp That Cracked a 31-Year Murder Mystery A forgotten postage stamp sealed in a paper evidence bag sat in cold storage for three decades until someone tested its adhesive and generated a partial DNA lead that reopened a 31-year-old...
A forgotten postage stamp sealed in a paper evidence bag sat in cold storage for three decades until someone tested its adhesive and generated a partial DNA lead that reopened a 31-year-old strangulation homicide. How did a single stamp, an old partial DNA profile, and a retired detective's home file finally turn into a conviction?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the morning Dawn Walker was found to the years the case sat cold, and trace how a contracted analyst revisiting a four-hundred-page file spotted the overlooked envelopes that changed everything. What exactly on page eleven shifted the investigation after thirty-one years?

Person: Dawn Walker
Age: 37
Date: November 14, 1991
Location: 414 Caldwell Drive, Linden Parish
Cause of death: Strangulation

- The paper carrier found the house with every interior light on at approximately 6:40 a.m.
- The furnace breaker had been switched off and the interior temperature at 7:12 a.m. was 41°F while outside was 28°F.
- Dawn Walker’s glass of orange juice showed ice crystals consistent with cooling below 34°F, supporting a time-of-death window between 11:30 p.m. Nov 13 and 1:30 a.m. Nov 14.
- Detective Lou Farris’s active investigation produced a file of approximately 400 pages before the case went cold by spring 1993.
- In June 2022, 54-year-old Gordon Novak began reviewing the four-hundred-page file and reached the scene report noting two envelopes on page eleven.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1228falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/in-superintendent-s-office-during-a-routine-delivery-pickup-per-his-confession-in-resolution-fact-lock--73055875
A single size seven blue canvas sneaker, knotted to a thirty-one-year-old hospital ID bracelet dated October 14, 1991, was unearthed from a frozen ditch on February 9, 2023 - and it belonged to Emily Porter, who had been dead for thirty-one years; how did one shoe end up there while her apartment door was locked from the inside? What connects a locked deadbolt, a shoe in a ditch, and a police report filed a year earlier that named the method, vehicle, and location type of a crime?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of discoveries from the roadside find to the decades-long investigation, including the photograph of Emily's locked apartment door and the trail that led from a refrigerator-preserved skin cell to closure, asking whether the missing piece that eluded Detective Arthur Lemke for his entire career was finally found.

Person: Emily Porter
Date of discovery: February 9, 2023
Admission date on bracelet: October 14, 1991
Age at death: 62
Investigator: Arthur Lemke

- A road-grader operator named William Collins found a blue canvas sneaker in a frozen ditch along Route Nine connector on February 9, 2023.
- The sneaker was size seven and had a hospital ID bracelet with an admission date of October 14, 1991, knotted through the left eyelet.
- Emily Porter was last seen leaving her apartment at approximately 7:15 p.m. on October 17, 1991; her body was found eleven days later in a culvert three miles east of Route Nine.
- Emily's apartment deadbolt was locked from the inside on October 21, 1991, with her only key still hanging on a hook inside the door photograph pinned in the case folder.
- Emily had worked as a licensed practical nurse at Harlan County General for twenty-two years and volunteered every Thursday at Grover's Mill food pantry for eleven years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055875Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:22:01 +0000Creator at Obomediain superintendent's office during a routine delivery pickup (per his confession in RESOLUTION_FACT_LOCK) A single size seven blue canvas sneaker, knotted to a thirty-one-year-old hospital ID bracelet dated October 14, 1991, was unearthed from a...
A single size seven blue canvas sneaker, knotted to a thirty-one-year-old hospital ID bracelet dated October 14, 1991, was unearthed from a frozen ditch on February 9, 2023 - and it belonged to Emily Porter, who had been dead for thirty-one years; how did one shoe end up there while her apartment door was locked from the inside? What connects a locked deadbolt, a shoe in a ditch, and a police report filed a year earlier that named the method, vehicle, and location type of a crime?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of discoveries from the roadside find to the decades-long investigation, including the photograph of Emily's locked apartment door and the trail that led from a refrigerator-preserved skin cell to closure, asking whether the missing piece that eluded Detective Arthur Lemke for his entire career was finally found.

Person: Emily Porter
Date of discovery: February 9, 2023
Admission date on bracelet: October 14, 1991
Age at death: 62
Investigator: Arthur Lemke

- A road-grader operator named William Collins found a blue canvas sneaker in a frozen ditch along Route Nine connector on February 9, 2023.
- The sneaker was size seven and had a hospital ID bracelet with an admission date of October 14, 1991, knotted through the left eyelet.
- Emily Porter was last seen leaving her apartment at approximately 7:15 p.m. on October 17, 1991; her body was found eleven days later in a culvert three miles east of Route Nine.
- Emily's apartment deadbolt was locked from the inside on October 21, 1991, with her only key still hanging on a hook inside the door photograph pinned in the case folder.
- Emily had worked as a licensed practical nurse at Harlan County General for twenty-two years and volunteered every Thursday at Grover's Mill food pantry for eleven years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1214falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-shoes-said-she-didn-t-walk-the-40-year-move-that-hid-her-killer--73055874
Mud on the road, nearly clean shoe soles, and a gold locket with a ruined photo - the evidence screamed that someone moved her, not that she walked there. The unidentified woman found in a Vance County limestone ditch on September 11, 1983, carried a receipt, a partial thumbprint and a medallion; why did her shoes say she hadn’t walked to her own death, and who moved her body?

In this episode, we tell the case history from discovery through the decades-long investigation and the clues that lingered unreadable until technology changed. You’ll hear where the body was found, what remained on her, and the single word a detective left in the file that haunted the case - what did Thursday mean?

Person: Crystal Ann Tate
Date found: September 11, 1983
Location found: limestone drainage ditch on Caldwell Ridge
Case: Jane Doe Vance-83-09
Detective: George Phelps

- Body discovered by utility technician Lloyd Andrews on a gravel road after two days of rain, September 11, 1983.
- Victim wearing a pale yellow cotton blouse, dark slacks, low-heeled shoes with nearly clean soles.
- Personal items missing: no purse, no keys, no wallet; gold medallion on a chain remained around her neck.
- Partial right-hand thumbprint lifted from her blouse near the collar returned no match in 1983 databases.
- Folded yellow carbon receipt dated August 29, 1983 for a plumbing supply distributor found in her nightstand with customer name torn away.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055874Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:58 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Shoes Said She Didn't Walk: The 40-Year Move That Hid Her Killer Mud on the road, nearly clean shoe soles, and a gold locket with a ruined photo - the evidence screamed that someone moved her, not that she walked there. The unidentified woman...
Mud on the road, nearly clean shoe soles, and a gold locket with a ruined photo - the evidence screamed that someone moved her, not that she walked there. The unidentified woman found in a Vance County limestone ditch on September 11, 1983, carried a receipt, a partial thumbprint and a medallion; why did her shoes say she hadn’t walked to her own death, and who moved her body?

In this episode, we tell the case history from discovery through the decades-long investigation and the clues that lingered unreadable until technology changed. You’ll hear where the body was found, what remained on her, and the single word a detective left in the file that haunted the case - what did Thursday mean?

Person: Crystal Ann Tate
Date found: September 11, 1983
Location found: limestone drainage ditch on Caldwell Ridge
Case: Jane Doe Vance-83-09
Detective: George Phelps

- Body discovered by utility technician Lloyd Andrews on a gravel road after two days of rain, September 11, 1983.
- Victim wearing a pale yellow cotton blouse, dark slacks, low-heeled shoes with nearly clean soles.
- Personal items missing: no purse, no keys, no wallet; gold medallion on a chain remained around her neck.
- Partial right-hand thumbprint lifted from her blouse near the collar returned no match in 1983 databases.
- Folded yellow carbon receipt dated August 29, 1983 for a plumbing supply distributor found in her nightstand with customer name torn away.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1350falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cup-that-closed-a-29-year-murder-mystery--73055873
A thrown-away coffee cup with a receipt timestamped 7:43 AM on August 9th sat in cold river water and, five days later, led to the end of a 29-year-old murder case. A dried bloodstain from August 1993 preserved in evidence, a levee camera recording a figure at 11:18 PM on August 13, 2022, and a local runner who knew every rock on the trail all converged-who placed that cup and why?

In this episode, we follow the chain of small, concrete details that reactivated a cold file and changed what investigators thought they knew. You’ll hear how a routine morning disappearance, sealed evidence, and a late-night figure on camera reopened questions about John Ford’s death.

Person: John Ford
Date: August 19-20, 1993 (time of death); receipt timestamp August 9, 2022 at 7:43 AM; cup found August 14, 2022 at 6:15 AM
Location: Grider Creek Road; drainage culvert and Carrow River levee trail near Hardale
Status: Case cold for 29 years until 2022 review

- John Ford left home at 6:50 AM on August 19, 1993 and did not arrive at work.
- Ford’s dark green Chevy half-ton was found unlocked on a gravel pull-off twelve miles east of Hardale the next morning.
- A body was recovered from a drainage culvert on August 27, 1993 with time of death placed between August 19 and 20 from blunt-force trauma to the head.
- A dried bloodstain on a flat rock near the culvert was collected in 1993, sealed, and stored without being analyzed for nearly 29 years.
- A levee trail camera recorded a figure in dark clothing at 11:18 PM on August 13, 2022, and a coffee cup with a receipt was found in the shallows on August 14, 2022 at 6:15 AM.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055873Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:55 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Cup That Closed a 29-Year Murder Mystery A thrown-away coffee cup with a receipt timestamped 7:43 AM on August 9th sat in cold river water and, five days later, led to the end of a 29-year-old murder case. A dried bloodstain from August 1993...
A thrown-away coffee cup with a receipt timestamped 7:43 AM on August 9th sat in cold river water and, five days later, led to the end of a 29-year-old murder case. A dried bloodstain from August 1993 preserved in evidence, a levee camera recording a figure at 11:18 PM on August 13, 2022, and a local runner who knew every rock on the trail all converged-who placed that cup and why?

In this episode, we follow the chain of small, concrete details that reactivated a cold file and changed what investigators thought they knew. You’ll hear how a routine morning disappearance, sealed evidence, and a late-night figure on camera reopened questions about John Ford’s death.

Person: John Ford
Date: August 19-20, 1993 (time of death); receipt timestamp August 9, 2022 at 7:43 AM; cup found August 14, 2022 at 6:15 AM
Location: Grider Creek Road; drainage culvert and Carrow River levee trail near Hardale
Status: Case cold for 29 years until 2022 review

- John Ford left home at 6:50 AM on August 19, 1993 and did not arrive at work.
- Ford’s dark green Chevy half-ton was found unlocked on a gravel pull-off twelve miles east of Hardale the next morning.
- A body was recovered from a drainage culvert on August 27, 1993 with time of death placed between August 19 and 20 from blunt-force trauma to the head.
- A dried bloodstain on a flat rock near the culvert was collected in 1993, sealed, and stored without being analyzed for nearly 29 years.
- A levee trail camera recorded a figure in dark clothing at 11:18 PM on August 13, 2022, and a coffee cup with a receipt was found in the shallows on August 14, 2022 at 6:15 AM.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1340falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-single-soccer-cleat-how-one-clue-broke-a-29-year-silence--73055870
A single child's right-foot soccer cleat - size four, almost new - sat on the welcome mat of 4 Granger Mill Road the morning Clifford Perry made his July 14, 1993 rounds, with one fresh blade of cut grass stuck to its sole; how did that impossible shoe arrive at a house with no children and a porch lawn unmown for weeks? What did that lone blade of grass, preserved for nearly three decades, finally reveal about Pamela Becker's death?

In this episode, we follow the facts as recorded by investigators, neighbors, and a retired detective who kept anomalies close for years; we cover the timeline of Pamela Becker's last entries, the scene at her home, and the three unexplained pieces of evidence that haunted the case - and ask how a small, ordinary object became the clearest signature left by a killer.

Person: Pamela Becker
Date: July 13-14, 1993
Location: 4 Granger Mill Road, Harlow Township
Cause of death: Strangulation
Investigator: Detective Leon Marsh, Denton County Sheriff's Office

- A neighbor, Clifford Perry, discovered the open door and the single right-foot soccer cleat on the welcome mat on the morning of July 14, 1993.
- The cleat was size four, white, almost new, and had one blade of freshly cut grass stuck to its sole.
- Pamela Becker's last notebook entry for her cat's insulin reads 7:04 a.m., July 13, 1993; entries stop after that line.
- A neighbor, Edith Crane, drove past the house around 8:30 p.m. on July 13 and saw the front door closed and the welcome mat empty.
- The medical examiner determined death occurred 14 to 20 hours before the cleat was found, placing time of death in the late evening or early night of July 13, 1993.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055870Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:52 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Single Soccer Cleat: How One Clue Broke a 29-Year Silence A single child's right-foot soccer cleat - size four, almost new - sat on the welcome mat of 4 Granger Mill Road the morning Clifford Perry made his July 14, 1993 rounds, with one fresh...
A single child's right-foot soccer cleat - size four, almost new - sat on the welcome mat of 4 Granger Mill Road the morning Clifford Perry made his July 14, 1993 rounds, with one fresh blade of cut grass stuck to its sole; how did that impossible shoe arrive at a house with no children and a porch lawn unmown for weeks? What did that lone blade of grass, preserved for nearly three decades, finally reveal about Pamela Becker's death?

In this episode, we follow the facts as recorded by investigators, neighbors, and a retired detective who kept anomalies close for years; we cover the timeline of Pamela Becker's last entries, the scene at her home, and the three unexplained pieces of evidence that haunted the case - and ask how a small, ordinary object became the clearest signature left by a killer.

Person: Pamela Becker
Date: July 13-14, 1993
Location: 4 Granger Mill Road, Harlow Township
Cause of death: Strangulation
Investigator: Detective Leon Marsh, Denton County Sheriff's Office

- A neighbor, Clifford Perry, discovered the open door and the single right-foot soccer cleat on the welcome mat on the morning of July 14, 1993.
- The cleat was size four, white, almost new, and had one blade of freshly cut grass stuck to its sole.
- Pamela Becker's last notebook entry for her cat's insulin reads 7:04 a.m., July 13, 1993; entries stop after that line.
- A neighbor, Edith Crane, drove past the house around 8:30 p.m. on July 13 and saw the front door closed and the welcome mat empty.
- The medical examiner determined death occurred 14 to 20 hours before the cleat was found, placing time of death in the late evening or early night of July 13, 1993.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1219falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-six-inch-door-how-a-dry-glove-solved-a-forgotten-murder--73055869
The carport door was open six inches and a single dark‑green wool driving glove lay dry on a bookshelf while June rain had soaked everything outside - and Frances Owens was on the living room floor, dead from manual strangulation. Who left that glove inside a locked, undisturbed house, and why did a faint fiber on her neck go unnoticed for nearly two decades?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the missed Wednesday phone call to the discovery of Frances Owens on Calhoun Spur Road, the initial evidence collected at the scene, and the early focus on the nearest neighbor - and we follow the detail that finally altered the case: the dry glove and a work order receipt that remained unconnected until much later. What changed when those two items were linked?

Person: Frances Owens
Location: Calhoun Spur Road, Harlan County, Kentucky
Date: between evening of June 7 and early morning of June 8
Cause: manual strangulation
Evidence: dark‑green wool driving glove (size large) found dry on second bookshelf shelf

- The side carport door was open exactly six inches, held by a push‑button latch.
- Frances Owens was fifty‑two years old and had lived on Calhoun Spur Road for nineteen years.
- Seven days passed before Frances was found; her weekly Wednesday 11 p.m. call to her sister did not occur.
- A dark‑green wool driving glove, size large, was found dry on the second shelf of the built‑in bookcase directly across from where Frances lay.
- A work order receipt dated eight months before the death listed technician as "C. Harris" and was collected in the evidence box.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055869Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:49 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Six‑Inch Door: How a Dry Glove Solved a Forgotten Murder The carport door was open six inches and a single dark‑green wool driving glove lay dry on a bookshelf while June rain had soaked everything outside - and Frances Owens was on the living...
The carport door was open six inches and a single dark‑green wool driving glove lay dry on a bookshelf while June rain had soaked everything outside - and Frances Owens was on the living room floor, dead from manual strangulation. Who left that glove inside a locked, undisturbed house, and why did a faint fiber on her neck go unnoticed for nearly two decades?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the missed Wednesday phone call to the discovery of Frances Owens on Calhoun Spur Road, the initial evidence collected at the scene, and the early focus on the nearest neighbor - and we follow the detail that finally altered the case: the dry glove and a work order receipt that remained unconnected until much later. What changed when those two items were linked?

Person: Frances Owens
Location: Calhoun Spur Road, Harlan County, Kentucky
Date: between evening of June 7 and early morning of June 8
Cause: manual strangulation
Evidence: dark‑green wool driving glove (size large) found dry on second bookshelf shelf

- The side carport door was open exactly six inches, held by a push‑button latch.
- Frances Owens was fifty‑two years old and had lived on Calhoun Spur Road for nineteen years.
- Seven days passed before Frances was found; her weekly Wednesday 11 p.m. call to her sister did not occur.
- A dark‑green wool driving glove, size large, was found dry on the second shelf of the built‑in bookcase directly across from where Frances lay.
- A work order receipt dated eight months before the death listed technician as "C. Harris" and was collected in the evidence box.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1203falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-snow-globe-the-coffee-cup-the-man-who-followed-her--73055867
The snow globe in Crystal Casey’s open palm read “Benton Falls, WI / Terrace Road Gift & Sundry,” a place she had no connection to, and that mystery went unsolved for eighteen years. How did a Wisconsin souvenir lead investigators from a trail in Ohio to a family tree, a discarded coffee cup, and the man who left it?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Crystal’s disappearance on May 7, 2002 through the discovery of the snow globe and the preservation of touch-DNA, to the breakthrough using consumer genealogy and a discarded coffee cup that confirmed a suspect. What did the snow globe really point to, and who did the DNA eventually identify?

Person: Crystal Casey
Date: May 9, 2002 (body found)
Location: Millhaven loop trail, Millhaven, Ohio
Age: 44
Investigator: Detective Phil Arnett

- Crystal Casey was found at 9:06 a.m. on May 9, 2002, twelve feet off the eastern edge of the Millhaven loop trail.
- The snow globe’s base was inscribed “Benton Falls, WI / Terrace Road Gift & Sundry.”
- Autopsy concluded manual strangulation with no sexual assault and nothing stolen.
- Touch-DNA from Crystal’s jacket produced a partial male profile that was preserved in a sealed envelope for eighteen years.
- A third cousin once removed match on GEDmatch (Beverly Norris of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) led genealogist Paul Mills to the family line after four months of handwritten trees and a confirmed match using a discarded coffee cup.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055867Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:46 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Snow Globe, The Coffee Cup, The Man Who Followed Her The snow globe in Crystal Casey’s open palm read “Benton Falls, WI / Terrace Road Gift & Sundry,” a place she had no connection to, and that mystery went unsolved for eighteen years. How did...
The snow globe in Crystal Casey’s open palm read “Benton Falls, WI / Terrace Road Gift & Sundry,” a place she had no connection to, and that mystery went unsolved for eighteen years. How did a Wisconsin souvenir lead investigators from a trail in Ohio to a family tree, a discarded coffee cup, and the man who left it?

In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from Crystal’s disappearance on May 7, 2002 through the discovery of the snow globe and the preservation of touch-DNA, to the breakthrough using consumer genealogy and a discarded coffee cup that confirmed a suspect. What did the snow globe really point to, and who did the DNA eventually identify?

Person: Crystal Casey
Date: May 9, 2002 (body found)
Location: Millhaven loop trail, Millhaven, Ohio
Age: 44
Investigator: Detective Phil Arnett

- Crystal Casey was found at 9:06 a.m. on May 9, 2002, twelve feet off the eastern edge of the Millhaven loop trail.
- The snow globe’s base was inscribed “Benton Falls, WI / Terrace Road Gift & Sundry.”
- Autopsy concluded manual strangulation with no sexual assault and nothing stolen.
- Touch-DNA from Crystal’s jacket produced a partial male profile that was preserved in a sealed envelope for eighteen years.
- A third cousin once removed match on GEDmatch (Beverly Norris of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) led genealogist Paul Mills to the family line after four months of handwritten trees and a confirmed match using a discarded coffee cup.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-man-who-stayed-a-31-year-missing-sock-confession--73055866
The discovery of a plastic evidence bag sealed with red tape and a single white athletic sock pulled from the Sauder River reopened a 31-year mystery: the sock’s tag read "92-0417-C / Osborne" and had been missing for twelve years. How did a piece of evidence linked to Julie Osborne’s 1992 murder disappear from the evidence room, only to return decades later and point to a man who never left town?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from April 1992 through the forensic genealogy result in summer 2023, following the evidence, Detective Roy Tabb’s decades-long search, and the quiet life of the only suspect. What allowed a suspect to remain present and unseen for thirty-one years?

Case: Julie Osborne
Date: April 13-19, 1992
Person: Detective Roy Tabb
Location: Sauder River / Millvale Cut / Teller's Crossing, Indiana
Event: Forensic genealogy match in summer 2023

- Item 92-0417-C was a white athletic sock collected from the Sauder River in April 1992.
- The sock’s evidence tag was signed in Roy Tabb’s handwriting and labeled "Osborne."
- Julie Osborne’s car was found April 14, 1992, with keys in the ignition and no signs of struggle.
- Julie’s body was recovered April 19, 1992, after being in the water for six days; cause of death was manual strangulation.
- The sock evidence was missing from the evidence room for twelve years before being found in a plastic bag on April 9, 2023.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055866Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:43 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Man Who Stayed: A 31-Year Missing-Sock Confession The discovery of a plastic evidence bag sealed with red tape and a single white athletic sock pulled from the Sauder River reopened a 31-year mystery: the sock’s tag read "92-0417-C / Osborne"...
The discovery of a plastic evidence bag sealed with red tape and a single white athletic sock pulled from the Sauder River reopened a 31-year mystery: the sock’s tag read "92-0417-C / Osborne" and had been missing for twelve years. How did a piece of evidence linked to Julie Osborne’s 1992 murder disappear from the evidence room, only to return decades later and point to a man who never left town?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from April 1992 through the forensic genealogy result in summer 2023, following the evidence, Detective Roy Tabb’s decades-long search, and the quiet life of the only suspect. What allowed a suspect to remain present and unseen for thirty-one years?

Case: Julie Osborne
Date: April 13-19, 1992
Person: Detective Roy Tabb
Location: Sauder River / Millvale Cut / Teller's Crossing, Indiana
Event: Forensic genealogy match in summer 2023

- Item 92-0417-C was a white athletic sock collected from the Sauder River in April 1992.
- The sock’s evidence tag was signed in Roy Tabb’s handwriting and labeled "Osborne."
- Julie Osborne’s car was found April 14, 1992, with keys in the ignition and no signs of struggle.
- Julie’s body was recovered April 19, 1992, after being in the water for six days; cause of death was manual strangulation.
- The sock evidence was missing from the evidence room for twelve years before being found in a plastic bag on April 9, 2023.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1253falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-coral-shoe-that-solved-a-31-year-disappearance--73055865
A single coral pink sneaker, the wrong color for something that had spent a winter outdoors, sat half-buried in a drainage embankment and led to the end of a thirty-one year silence. How did a shoe found by a land surveyor in March 2022 unearth a missing nurse last seen on March 4, 1991 - and what kept witnesses from speaking for decades?

In this episode, we follow the discovery, the immediate search of forty acres across eleven days, and the forensic genealogy that finally produced a lead. How did a distant DNA match and one coworker’s memory change everything for a small Ohio town?

Person: Debra Boyd
Date: March 4, 1991
Location: Fenwick Falls, Tillman County, Ohio
Event: Coral pink sneaker discovery on eastern edge of Tillman County
Investigator: April Riley

- The shoe was spotted fifteen feet away by land surveyor Grant Donnelly in the second week of March 2022.
- Inside the coral pink shoe was a sock and the distal third of a human foot fused to bone.
- Investigators conducted eleven days of grid searching across forty acres of frozen farmland after the discovery.
- Debra Boyd was fifty-six years old, a licensed practical nurse with fourteen years on the evening shift at Brecken Memorial Hospital.
- Forensic genealogist April Riley traced a DNA profile using a third-cousin-level match after four months of building family trees from hundreds of names.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055865Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:40 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Coral Shoe That Solved a 31-Year Disappearance A single coral pink sneaker, the wrong color for something that had spent a winter outdoors, sat half-buried in a drainage embankment and led to the end of a thirty-one year silence. How did a shoe...
A single coral pink sneaker, the wrong color for something that had spent a winter outdoors, sat half-buried in a drainage embankment and led to the end of a thirty-one year silence. How did a shoe found by a land surveyor in March 2022 unearth a missing nurse last seen on March 4, 1991 - and what kept witnesses from speaking for decades?

In this episode, we follow the discovery, the immediate search of forty acres across eleven days, and the forensic genealogy that finally produced a lead. How did a distant DNA match and one coworker’s memory change everything for a small Ohio town?

Person: Debra Boyd
Date: March 4, 1991
Location: Fenwick Falls, Tillman County, Ohio
Event: Coral pink sneaker discovery on eastern edge of Tillman County
Investigator: April Riley

- The shoe was spotted fifteen feet away by land surveyor Grant Donnelly in the second week of March 2022.
- Inside the coral pink shoe was a sock and the distal third of a human foot fused to bone.
- Investigators conducted eleven days of grid searching across forty acres of frozen farmland after the discovery.
- Debra Boyd was fifty-six years old, a licensed practical nurse with fourteen years on the evening shift at Brecken Memorial Hospital.
- Forensic genealogist April Riley traced a DNA profile using a third-cousin-level match after four months of building family trees from hundreds of names.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1191falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-swab-that-broke-a-killer-how-30-years-unraveled--73055864
A single perfectly white cotton swab, labeled 1993 and found in a sewer riser in February 2023, erased three decades of concealment and exposed a man who had killed a twenty-two-year-old. Why did a seventy-one-year-old handyman break into a basement with a crowbar after reading something in a magazine the previous fall, and how did one swapped swab finally end this?

In this episode, we follow the factual timeline from Curtis Hicks’s disappearance on February 9, 1993, through the evidence mishandling and storage moves that hid the case for thirty years, to the moment the sealed bag surfaced in 2023 - and ask how that lost swab changed everything.

Person: Curtis Hicks
Date: February 9, 1993
Location: Dunnfield County
Event: Body found in drainage culvert on February 15, 1993
Item: Evidence bag barcode read 1993

- Curtis Hicks was 22 years old when he disappeared on February 9, 1993.
- His tan Chevrolet Cavalier was found on the shoulder of Township Road 18 roughly two miles from his apartment.
- Curtis was found dead on February 15, 1993 from a single blunt force blow to the back of his skull.
- A blood smear on the Cavalier door handle was collected by criminalist Sherry Odom and logged into the county evidence system.
- The evidence bag sat in a county freezer for six years, then was misplaced in a basement after a 1999 transfer and 2004 decommissioning before being rediscovered in 2023.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055864Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:37 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Swab That Broke a Killer: How 30 Years Unraveled A single perfectly white cotton swab, labeled 1993 and found in a sewer riser in February 2023, erased three decades of concealment and exposed a man who had killed a twenty-two-year-old. Why did...
A single perfectly white cotton swab, labeled 1993 and found in a sewer riser in February 2023, erased three decades of concealment and exposed a man who had killed a twenty-two-year-old. Why did a seventy-one-year-old handyman break into a basement with a crowbar after reading something in a magazine the previous fall, and how did one swapped swab finally end this?

In this episode, we follow the factual timeline from Curtis Hicks’s disappearance on February 9, 1993, through the evidence mishandling and storage moves that hid the case for thirty years, to the moment the sealed bag surfaced in 2023 - and ask how that lost swab changed everything.

Person: Curtis Hicks
Date: February 9, 1993
Location: Dunnfield County
Event: Body found in drainage culvert on February 15, 1993
Item: Evidence bag barcode read 1993

- Curtis Hicks was 22 years old when he disappeared on February 9, 1993.
- His tan Chevrolet Cavalier was found on the shoulder of Township Road 18 roughly two miles from his apartment.
- Curtis was found dead on February 15, 1993 from a single blunt force blow to the back of his skull.
- A blood smear on the Cavalier door handle was collected by criminalist Sherry Odom and logged into the county evidence system.
- The evidence bag sat in a county freezer for six years, then was misplaced in a basement after a 1999 transfer and 2004 decommissioning before being rediscovered in 2023.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1267falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-kept-her-time-how-a-killer-left-a-clue--73055863
Fear of the unknown tightens when a small, ordinary object points straight at a killer: a gold-toned Seiko found face-up in leaf litter, running and stopped only by time reading 7:14 beside Beverly Marshall’s body. Who would carry a dead woman’s watch to a creek bed, set it down thirty feet from her, then drive home and plan the next day’s deliveries-what secret was the watch keeping?

In this episode, we tell the story of Beverly Marshall’s life, disappearance on January 8, 1987, and the decades-long search that turned a discarded wristwatch and a sealed biological sample into the key question: how did a technology not yet invented unlock what eyewitnesses and early investigators could not?

Person: Beverly Marshall
Date: January 8-9, 1987
Location: Tilton Creek, near Fenwick, Ohio
Status: Murder solved decades later using newer technology
Case: Unsolved at time of initial investigation; suspect Terry Bosch investigated but not charged

- The watch was a gold-toned Seiko found face-up in frozen leaf litter reading 7:14.
- The morning temperature when the watch was found was eleven degrees.
- The watch lay roughly thirty feet from Beverly’s body and about forty yards from the waterline.
- Beverly was thirty-nine years old, lived on Birch Terrace, and worked as a medical transcriptionist.
- Beverly’s Honda Civic was found January 9, 1987, locked in the Fenwick Food Mart parking lot six blocks from her apartment.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055863Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:34 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Kept Her Time: How a Killer Left a Clue Fear of the unknown tightens when a small, ordinary object points straight at a killer: a gold-toned Seiko found face-up in leaf litter, running and stopped only by time reading 7:14 beside...
Fear of the unknown tightens when a small, ordinary object points straight at a killer: a gold-toned Seiko found face-up in leaf litter, running and stopped only by time reading 7:14 beside Beverly Marshall’s body. Who would carry a dead woman’s watch to a creek bed, set it down thirty feet from her, then drive home and plan the next day’s deliveries-what secret was the watch keeping?

In this episode, we tell the story of Beverly Marshall’s life, disappearance on January 8, 1987, and the decades-long search that turned a discarded wristwatch and a sealed biological sample into the key question: how did a technology not yet invented unlock what eyewitnesses and early investigators could not?

Person: Beverly Marshall
Date: January 8-9, 1987
Location: Tilton Creek, near Fenwick, Ohio
Status: Murder solved decades later using newer technology
Case: Unsolved at time of initial investigation; suspect Terry Bosch investigated but not charged

- The watch was a gold-toned Seiko found face-up in frozen leaf litter reading 7:14.
- The morning temperature when the watch was found was eleven degrees.
- The watch lay roughly thirty feet from Beverly’s body and about forty yards from the waterline.
- Beverly was thirty-nine years old, lived on Birch Terrace, and worked as a medical transcriptionist.
- Beverly’s Honda Civic was found January 9, 1987, locked in the Fenwick Food Mart parking lot six blocks from her apartment.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1147falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/he-left-a-chocolate-milk-bottle-i-knew-he-d-return--73055862
Coldness filled a house from the inside out the morning a teen found a 62-year-old widow dead on her foyer floor, and a sealed pint of Dellmoor Dairy chocolate milk-made obsolete six years earlier-sat beside her hand. Why would someone bring a vintage, full, factory-sealed bottle to a scene with no forced entry, and what did the man arrested in 2023 whisper that stopped officers cold?

In this episode, we walk through the facts recorded at the scene, the long unsolved investigation, and the odd, persistent details that kept the case open for thirty years-then finally produced a confession that hinged on that single bottle. How did a milk bottle from a dairy that stopped deliveries in 1981 become the clue that lasted decades?

Person: Teresa Fisher
Date: December 9, 1993
Location: Sycamore Terrace, Dellmoor, Ohio
Cause of death: Manual strangulation
Status: Unsolved for thirty years until an arrest in winter 2023

- Time of death estimated between 9:00 and 11:00 PM on December 8, 1993.
- Victim’s age: 62 years; lived on Sycamore Terrace for 19 years and worked at Dellmoor Public Library.
- Bottle: glass pint of chocolate milk, Dellmoor Dairy, full and factory-sealed with paper-foil cap.
- Dellmoor Dairy stopped residential deliveries to Sycamore Terrace in October 1981 and closed permanently in 1987.
- Discoverer: Howard Brooks, age 14, found the door ajar at 6:17 AM on December 9, 1993.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055862Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:31 +0000Creator at ObomediaHe Left a Chocolate Milk Bottle - I Knew He'd Return Coldness filled a house from the inside out the morning a teen found a 62-year-old widow dead on her foyer floor, and a sealed pint of Dellmoor Dairy chocolate milk-made obsolete six years...
Coldness filled a house from the inside out the morning a teen found a 62-year-old widow dead on her foyer floor, and a sealed pint of Dellmoor Dairy chocolate milk-made obsolete six years earlier-sat beside her hand. Why would someone bring a vintage, full, factory-sealed bottle to a scene with no forced entry, and what did the man arrested in 2023 whisper that stopped officers cold?

In this episode, we walk through the facts recorded at the scene, the long unsolved investigation, and the odd, persistent details that kept the case open for thirty years-then finally produced a confession that hinged on that single bottle. How did a milk bottle from a dairy that stopped deliveries in 1981 become the clue that lasted decades?

Person: Teresa Fisher
Date: December 9, 1993
Location: Sycamore Terrace, Dellmoor, Ohio
Cause of death: Manual strangulation
Status: Unsolved for thirty years until an arrest in winter 2023

- Time of death estimated between 9:00 and 11:00 PM on December 8, 1993.
- Victim’s age: 62 years; lived on Sycamore Terrace for 19 years and worked at Dellmoor Public Library.
- Bottle: glass pint of chocolate milk, Dellmoor Dairy, full and factory-sealed with paper-foil cap.
- Dellmoor Dairy stopped residential deliveries to Sycamore Terrace in October 1981 and closed permanently in 1987.
- Discoverer: Howard Brooks, age 14, found the door ajar at 6:17 AM on December 9, 1993.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1301falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cooler-at-mile-marker-7-the-ring-that-never-left--73055861
Cold and stiff at eleven degrees below, a road-grader blade dragged a blue $22 plastic cooler six feet across the frozen shoulder of Route 9 - and a mummified hand with a small sterling ring stamped with an anchor poked from the gap. That ring had been described by a mother who reported her son missing thirty-one years earlier; how did a cooler sit undisturbed at mile marker seven for decades and who unlocked it when the lid turned freely?

In this episode, we tell what was inside that cooler, how a single strand of DNA preserved in a state crime lab freezer decades later changed everything, and why investigators were stopped more by the patience of whoever returned to the cooler than by violence itself. What connects a retired truck driver to a murder left cold for thirty-one years?

Person: Ryan Long
Date: November 9, 1988
Location: Mile Marker 7, Route 9
Age: 24
Caller: Dorothy Long

- Cooler model: blue plastic chest cooler, retail value about $22
- Weather at discovery: eleven degrees below zero under a gray November sky
- Time between disappearance and discovery call: 31 years (1988 to November 16, 2019)
- Evidence preserved: semen stain on the collar of Ryan’s canvas jacket stored in state crime lab freezer
- Investigative lead in 1988: suspect Brett Solis interviewed four times over three years

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055861Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:28 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Cooler at Mile Marker 7: The Ring That Never Left Cold and stiff at eleven degrees below, a road-grader blade dragged a blue $22 plastic cooler six feet across the frozen shoulder of Route 9 - and a mummified hand with a small sterling ring...
Cold and stiff at eleven degrees below, a road-grader blade dragged a blue $22 plastic cooler six feet across the frozen shoulder of Route 9 - and a mummified hand with a small sterling ring stamped with an anchor poked from the gap. That ring had been described by a mother who reported her son missing thirty-one years earlier; how did a cooler sit undisturbed at mile marker seven for decades and who unlocked it when the lid turned freely?

In this episode, we tell what was inside that cooler, how a single strand of DNA preserved in a state crime lab freezer decades later changed everything, and why investigators were stopped more by the patience of whoever returned to the cooler than by violence itself. What connects a retired truck driver to a murder left cold for thirty-one years?

Person: Ryan Long
Date: November 9, 1988
Location: Mile Marker 7, Route 9
Age: 24
Caller: Dorothy Long

- Cooler model: blue plastic chest cooler, retail value about $22
- Weather at discovery: eleven degrees below zero under a gray November sky
- Time between disappearance and discovery call: 31 years (1988 to November 16, 2019)
- Evidence preserved: semen stain on the collar of Ryan’s canvas jacket stored in state crime lab freezer
- Investigative lead in 1988: suspect Brett Solis interviewed four times over three years

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1208falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-cigarette-butt-that-found-a-killer-after-seventeen-years--73055858
A single cigarette butt, logged and shelved in 2006, produced a complete DNA profile in 2023 and led investigators to distant cousins in a consumer genealogy database-how did that abandoned scrap eventually point to a man who vanished and another who confessed to murder? What hidden trail did a size four sneaker, a running wristwatch, and six months of genetic reconstruction reveal about two cold cases?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from the discovery in a padlocked building to the 2023 breakthrough, describing the evidence, the gaps in the early investigation, and the genealogical work that tied two disappearances together. How did a cigarette butt, a coffee cup, and a genealogy database change a seventeen-year-old case?

Date: October 7, 2006
Person: Eric Henderson
Location: Anchor House diner parking lot; Pelham industrial corridor
Investigator: Gordon Burke
Forensic genealogist: Harriet Song

- Eric Henderson disappeared after being seen leaving the Anchor House diner between 10:00 and 10:15 PM on October 7, 2006.
- A cigarette butt collected from the diner parking lot in 2006 was stored in evidence and not submitted for DNA analysis until February 2023.
- The lab extracted a complete DNA profile from the cigarette butt in 2023 and found no match in CODIS.
- Consumer genealogy searches produced distant-cousin matches, and forensic genealogist Harriet Song spent six months building family trees from those partial matches.
- The man later identified through the investigation, Charles Adams, had been delivering parts in the industrial corridor since 2002 and confessed to another killing from November 2003 after his identification.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055858Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:24 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Cigarette Butt That Found a Killer After Seventeen Years A single cigarette butt, logged and shelved in 2006, produced a complete DNA profile in 2023 and led investigators to distant cousins in a consumer genealogy database-how did that...
A single cigarette butt, logged and shelved in 2006, produced a complete DNA profile in 2023 and led investigators to distant cousins in a consumer genealogy database-how did that abandoned scrap eventually point to a man who vanished and another who confessed to murder? What hidden trail did a size four sneaker, a running wristwatch, and six months of genetic reconstruction reveal about two cold cases?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from the discovery in a padlocked building to the 2023 breakthrough, describing the evidence, the gaps in the early investigation, and the genealogical work that tied two disappearances together. How did a cigarette butt, a coffee cup, and a genealogy database change a seventeen-year-old case?

Date: October 7, 2006
Person: Eric Henderson
Location: Anchor House diner parking lot; Pelham industrial corridor
Investigator: Gordon Burke
Forensic genealogist: Harriet Song

- Eric Henderson disappeared after being seen leaving the Anchor House diner between 10:00 and 10:15 PM on October 7, 2006.
- A cigarette butt collected from the diner parking lot in 2006 was stored in evidence and not submitted for DNA analysis until February 2023.
- The lab extracted a complete DNA profile from the cigarette butt in 2023 and found no match in CODIS.
- Consumer genealogy searches produced distant-cousin matches, and forensic genealogist Harriet Song spent six months building family trees from those partial matches.
- The man later identified through the investigation, Charles Adams, had been delivering parts in the industrial corridor since 2002 and confessed to another killing from November 2003 after his identification.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1148falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bite-that-waited-decades-how-teeth-closed-a-killer--73055857
A refrigerated envelope held a wax cast of a bite mark for thirty-one years before it helped break a murder cold case - the cast showed a rotated upper arch, incisor overlap, and a missing or shortened lower left lateral incisor. How did a dental impression made on September 14, 1979, end up as the key to an answer no one knew to ask for decades?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the morning Marcia Wallace was found to the preservation of the bite cast and the original investigation’s dead ends, asking whether the single overlooked canvas note and that sealed dental cast were the threads that finally closed the case.

Person: Marcia Wallace
Date found: September 11, 1979
Occupation: Dental hygienist
Finder: Norman Patterson
Investigator who made cast: Beverly Lind

- Marcia Wallace was 32 years old when her body was found at Kellum Creek Park at 6:27 a.m.
- Diane Wallace reported Marcia missing on September 10, 1979, after Marcia missed a confirmed family dinner.
- Medical examiner Dr. Amos Schuler ruled cause of death as manual strangulation combined with sustained physical assault.
- Forensic odontologist Beverly Lind made a wax bite impression from a bite mark on Marcia's left shoulder on September 14, 1979, and wrote “Wallace, M. - Bite Imp. - 9/14/79 - Lind” on the envelope.
- Detective Frank Yee’s canvass included a four-line entry for “K. Mason” dated September 17, 1979, with no disposition and no dental impression request.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055857Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:21 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Bite That Waited Decades: How Teeth Closed a Killer A refrigerated envelope held a wax cast of a bite mark for thirty-one years before it helped break a murder cold case - the cast showed a rotated upper arch, incisor overlap, and a missing or...
A refrigerated envelope held a wax cast of a bite mark for thirty-one years before it helped break a murder cold case - the cast showed a rotated upper arch, incisor overlap, and a missing or shortened lower left lateral incisor. How did a dental impression made on September 14, 1979, end up as the key to an answer no one knew to ask for decades?

In this episode, we lay out the sequence of events from the morning Marcia Wallace was found to the preservation of the bite cast and the original investigation’s dead ends, asking whether the single overlooked canvas note and that sealed dental cast were the threads that finally closed the case.

Person: Marcia Wallace
Date found: September 11, 1979
Occupation: Dental hygienist
Finder: Norman Patterson
Investigator who made cast: Beverly Lind

- Marcia Wallace was 32 years old when her body was found at Kellum Creek Park at 6:27 a.m.
- Diane Wallace reported Marcia missing on September 10, 1979, after Marcia missed a confirmed family dinner.
- Medical examiner Dr. Amos Schuler ruled cause of death as manual strangulation combined with sustained physical assault.
- Forensic odontologist Beverly Lind made a wax bite impression from a bite mark on Marcia's left shoulder on September 14, 1979, and wrote “Wallace, M. - Bite Imp. - 9/14/79 - Lind” on the envelope.
- Detective Frank Yee’s canvass included a four-line entry for “K. Mason” dated September 17, 1979, with no disposition and no dental impression request.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1413falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mailman-who-knew-her-routine-then-she-never-came-home--73055855
A postal carrier who delivered the same route five days a week watched a 52-year-old insurance adjuster walk to the market at night because her car’s air conditioning had failed - then she vanished the next day with the back door of her house latched from the inside. Biological evidence collected by Detective Frank Sobel in 1991 sat frozen for three decades until a consumer ancestry kit opened a new line of inquiry in 2022; who closed the impossible screen door and why?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Cheryl Sheridan’s routine life on Crestwood Drive and the August 14, 1991 meter reader discovery to the decades-long evidence file at the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office and the breakthrough that began with a birthday gift in Bend, Oregon. How did a route sheet and preserved biology finally connect a neighborhood face to a cold case?

Person: Cheryl Sheridan
Date: August 14, 1991
Location: 4 Crestwood Drive, Harwick, New York
Investigator: Detective Frank Sobel
Breakthrough: October 2022 (Ancestry kit discovery in Bend, Oregon)

- Cheryl Sheridan was 52 years old and worked as an insurance adjuster out of Elmira with a forty-minute commute each way.
- Paula Kowalski arrived at 4 Crestwood Drive at 7:52 AM on August 14, 1991 to read a meter and found the back door locked from the inside.
- Leon Anderson had been delivering mail on the Crestwood route since April 1991, approximately four months before Cheryl’s disappearance.
- Detective Frank Sobel collected biological evidence in 1991 and the material remained in a freezer through department reorganizations until at least 2017.
- In October 2022, a woman in Bend, Oregon opened a birthday gift (an ancestry kit) that revealed unexpected information tied to the case.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055855Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:18 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Mailman Who Knew Her Routine - Then She Never Came Home A postal carrier who delivered the same route five days a week watched a 52-year-old insurance adjuster walk to the market at night because her car’s air conditioning had failed - then she...
A postal carrier who delivered the same route five days a week watched a 52-year-old insurance adjuster walk to the market at night because her car’s air conditioning had failed - then she vanished the next day with the back door of her house latched from the inside. Biological evidence collected by Detective Frank Sobel in 1991 sat frozen for three decades until a consumer ancestry kit opened a new line of inquiry in 2022; who closed the impossible screen door and why?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Cheryl Sheridan’s routine life on Crestwood Drive and the August 14, 1991 meter reader discovery to the decades-long evidence file at the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office and the breakthrough that began with a birthday gift in Bend, Oregon. How did a route sheet and preserved biology finally connect a neighborhood face to a cold case?

Person: Cheryl Sheridan
Date: August 14, 1991
Location: 4 Crestwood Drive, Harwick, New York
Investigator: Detective Frank Sobel
Breakthrough: October 2022 (Ancestry kit discovery in Bend, Oregon)

- Cheryl Sheridan was 52 years old and worked as an insurance adjuster out of Elmira with a forty-minute commute each way.
- Paula Kowalski arrived at 4 Crestwood Drive at 7:52 AM on August 14, 1991 to read a meter and found the back door locked from the inside.
- Leon Anderson had been delivering mail on the Crestwood route since April 1991, approximately four months before Cheryl’s disappearance.
- Detective Frank Sobel collected biological evidence in 1991 and the material remained in a freezer through department reorganizations until at least 2017.
- In October 2022, a woman in Bend, Oregon opened a birthday gift (an ancestry kit) that revealed unexpected information tied to the case.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1323falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-missing-sandal-the-church-freezer-and-the-coffee-cup-lead--73055854
The first fact that arrests you: a volunteer opened a donated chest freezer and found Debra Mitchell folded inside at 14 degrees below zero, one brown leather sandal on her right foot and the left sandal nowhere to be found. Thirty-one years later, a retired machinist throwing away a coffee cup reopened questions no one solved-who had access to that hidden freezer, and where is the missing sandal?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Debra’s last confirmed sighting to the discovery in the church freezer and the decades-long cold trail that followed, including the forgotten beige sedan and a faint chemical odor logged by a forensic technician-what connects the missing left sandal and the coffee cup discarded in 2022?

Person: Debra Mitchell
Date: July 14, 1991 (discovery); July 1, 1991 (last confirmed sighting)
Location: Calvary Ridge Church freezer; Orchard Grade Road duplex
Status: Case cold for thirty-one years until a new lead in 2022
Occupation: Licensed practical nurse at Harwick Regional Hospital

- Debra Mitchell was found inside a donated chest freezer at 9:47 AM on July 14, 1991, at 14°F below zero.
- She had been missing for thirteen days after last being seen waving in her front yard around 7:30 PM on July 1, 1991.
- One brown leather buckle-strap sandal remained on her right foot; the left sandal was not found at the church, her duplex, the parking lot, or the roadside.
- Forensic technician Vera Szabo recorded a faint chemical odor inside the freezer, described like motor oil or parts-cleaning solvent, in field notes but not the final report.
- Detective Sergeant Frank Arber documented sixty-one interviews by August 1991 on handwritten index cards and kept three unresolved cards (including the beige sedan) for thirty-one years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055854Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:15 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Missing Sandal, the Church Freezer, and the Coffee Cup Lead The first fact that arrests you: a volunteer opened a donated chest freezer and found Debra Mitchell folded inside at 14 degrees below zero, one brown leather sandal on her right foot...
The first fact that arrests you: a volunteer opened a donated chest freezer and found Debra Mitchell folded inside at 14 degrees below zero, one brown leather sandal on her right foot and the left sandal nowhere to be found. Thirty-one years later, a retired machinist throwing away a coffee cup reopened questions no one solved-who had access to that hidden freezer, and where is the missing sandal?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Debra’s last confirmed sighting to the discovery in the church freezer and the decades-long cold trail that followed, including the forgotten beige sedan and a faint chemical odor logged by a forensic technician-what connects the missing left sandal and the coffee cup discarded in 2022?

Person: Debra Mitchell
Date: July 14, 1991 (discovery); July 1, 1991 (last confirmed sighting)
Location: Calvary Ridge Church freezer; Orchard Grade Road duplex
Status: Case cold for thirty-one years until a new lead in 2022
Occupation: Licensed practical nurse at Harwick Regional Hospital

- Debra Mitchell was found inside a donated chest freezer at 9:47 AM on July 14, 1991, at 14°F below zero.
- She had been missing for thirteen days after last being seen waving in her front yard around 7:30 PM on July 1, 1991.
- One brown leather buckle-strap sandal remained on her right foot; the left sandal was not found at the church, her duplex, the parking lot, or the roadside.
- Forensic technician Vera Szabo recorded a faint chemical odor inside the freezer, described like motor oil or parts-cleaning solvent, in field notes but not the final report.
- Detective Sergeant Frank Arber documented sixty-one interviews by August 1991 on handwritten index cards and kept three unresolved cards (including the beige sedan) for thirty-one years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1209falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-map-that-wasn-t-there-why-hatcher-s-bluff-lied--73055853
A laminated trail map for Hatcher's Bluff was found folded into thirds under the right hand of Bruce Stewart - a map that would not be publicly printed until October 1994, four months after Bruce died on June 11, 1994. Why was a not-yet-published trail guide deliberately folded and placed with a man who lay in the sumac for hours after being struck twice at the base of the skull?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from the morning Bruce was found through the decades the case sat cold, following the overlooked physical detail that changed everything: the precise three-panel fold of the map and who handled the case when it reopened. What does that folded map tell us about where Bruce actually was and who had access to a map that shouldn’t have existed yet?

Person: Bruce Stewart
Date: June 11, 1994
Location: Hatcher's Bluff, Ridgeback Loop, creek trail area
Status: Case closed in eight months; file later transferred to cold case storage
Person: Marie Slater

- Bruce Stewart was 28 years old at the time of his death.
- His red pickup truck was parked at the Hatcher's Bluff trailhead on the morning he was found.
- Bruce had been struck twice at the base of the skull with a blunt object; the weapon was never recovered.
- The laminated Hatcher's Bluff trail map found under his hand was folded into three equal panels and would not be publicly printed until October 1994.
- Melissa Wright pulled the Stewart file from cold case storage in spring 2014 after transferring to the cold case unit.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055853Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:11 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Map That Wasn't There: Why Hatcher's Bluff Lied A laminated trail map for Hatcher's Bluff was found folded into thirds under the right hand of Bruce Stewart - a map that would not be publicly printed until October 1994, four months after Bruce...
A laminated trail map for Hatcher's Bluff was found folded into thirds under the right hand of Bruce Stewart - a map that would not be publicly printed until October 1994, four months after Bruce died on June 11, 1994. Why was a not-yet-published trail guide deliberately folded and placed with a man who lay in the sumac for hours after being struck twice at the base of the skull?

In this episode, we walk through the sequence of events from the morning Bruce was found through the decades the case sat cold, following the overlooked physical detail that changed everything: the precise three-panel fold of the map and who handled the case when it reopened. What does that folded map tell us about where Bruce actually was and who had access to a map that shouldn’t have existed yet?

Person: Bruce Stewart
Date: June 11, 1994
Location: Hatcher's Bluff, Ridgeback Loop, creek trail area
Status: Case closed in eight months; file later transferred to cold case storage
Person: Marie Slater

- Bruce Stewart was 28 years old at the time of his death.
- His red pickup truck was parked at the Hatcher's Bluff trailhead on the morning he was found.
- Bruce had been struck twice at the base of the skull with a blunt object; the weapon was never recovered.
- The laminated Hatcher's Bluff trail map found under his hand was folded into three equal panels and would not be publicly printed until October 1994.
- Melissa Wright pulled the Stewart file from cold case storage in spring 2014 after transferring to the cold case unit.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1392falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-shoe-how-a-hospital-tag-unraveled-a-40-year-disappearance--73055851
A waterlogged low-heeled shoe pulled from a reservoir in May contained a readable hospital sticker: Duncan, G., Briar Falls General, 05/09 - and that single detail would unlock a four-decade mystery. How did a hospital tag and a hair root sealed in a county freezer finally point to the truth about a woman who vanished after leaving the ER in 1984?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning a fisherman found the shoe to the decades-long investigation that preserved evidence in a freezer and mislaid suspicion on the wrong man; what finally connected the hospital tag and the hair to the location four miles from the water?

Person: Gina Duncan
Date: May 9, 1984
Location: Briar Falls General Hospital parking lot
Evidence: single hair root recovered from headrest, preserved in county lab freezer
Event: shoe recovered from Calloway Reservoir on May 14 (waterlogged, 40 years of silt)

- The shoe recovered was one brown low-heeled shoe, waterlogged and crusted with forty years of reservoir silt.
- The hospital sticker inside the shoe read: Duncan, G. - Briar Falls General - 05/09.
- Gina Duncan was fifty-two years old in spring 1984 and had worked the front desk at Briar Falls General for nineteen years.
- Gina’s dark-green 1979 Buick Skylark was found five days after her disappearance with keys on the seat and an unlocked door.
- A single hair root from the headrest was collected in May 1984, sealed in a paper envelope, logged into the county lab, and stored in the freezer for thirty-six years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055851Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:08 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer Shoe: How a Hospital Tag Unraveled a 40-Year Disappearance A waterlogged low-heeled shoe pulled from a reservoir in May contained a readable hospital sticker: Duncan, G., Briar Falls General, 05/09 - and that single detail would unlock...
A waterlogged low-heeled shoe pulled from a reservoir in May contained a readable hospital sticker: Duncan, G., Briar Falls General, 05/09 - and that single detail would unlock a four-decade mystery. How did a hospital tag and a hair root sealed in a county freezer finally point to the truth about a woman who vanished after leaving the ER in 1984?

In this episode, we tell the sequence of events from the morning a fisherman found the shoe to the decades-long investigation that preserved evidence in a freezer and mislaid suspicion on the wrong man; what finally connected the hospital tag and the hair to the location four miles from the water?

Person: Gina Duncan
Date: May 9, 1984
Location: Briar Falls General Hospital parking lot
Evidence: single hair root recovered from headrest, preserved in county lab freezer
Event: shoe recovered from Calloway Reservoir on May 14 (waterlogged, 40 years of silt)

- The shoe recovered was one brown low-heeled shoe, waterlogged and crusted with forty years of reservoir silt.
- The hospital sticker inside the shoe read: Duncan, G. - Briar Falls General - 05/09.
- Gina Duncan was fifty-two years old in spring 1984 and had worked the front desk at Briar Falls General for nineteen years.
- Gina’s dark-green 1979 Buick Skylark was found five days after her disappearance with keys on the seat and an unlocked door.
- A single hair root from the headrest was collected in May 1984, sealed in a paper envelope, logged into the county lab, and stored in the freezer for thirty-six years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1279falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-in-the-garage-31-years-one-hidden-hair-trail--73055847
A thirty-one-year-old missing-person case pivots on three strands of hair found in a fist and an envelope kept on a retired sergeant’s shelf for decades - one of those hairs yielded a full nuclear DNA profile after sitting in a garage for two years. Who paid attention to that envelope, and what did a genealogy match from Indiana reveal about the person connected to Gloria Chambers’ disappearance?

In this episode, we tell how a surveyor found skeletal remains in April 2021 and how a dead detective’s evidence envelope reopened a case that began on April 7, 1990. Follow the chain from the missing-person report to the discovery of hair in a fist, the transfer of that envelope after the sergeant’s death, and the genealogical lead that followed.

Person: Gloria Chambers
Date: April 7, 1990 (disappearance)
Location: Caldwell Township
Person: Sergeant Dennis Pruitt
Event: Remains discovered April 14, 2021

- Gloria Chambers was twenty-two years old when she disappeared after leaving Pat Winslow's on the evening of April 7, 1990.
- Sergeant Dennis Pruitt bagged three strands of hair found in Gloria’s right fist and labeled the envelope "Chambers / April ninety / Hair from fist - NOT HERS."
- Pruitt retired in 2004 and died in March 2019; his daughter Karen Vogel found the envelope in his garage eight months after his death.
- Two of the three hair strands had intact root tissue, allowing a full nuclear DNA profile to be generated in spring 2020.
- The first genealogy match was a woman in Indiana, Patricia Odell, sharing approximately 1,740 centimorgans with the unknown profile.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055847Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:05 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope in the Garage: 31 Years, One Hidden Hair Trail A thirty-one-year-old missing-person case pivots on three strands of hair found in a fist and an envelope kept on a retired sergeant’s shelf for decades - one of those hairs yielded a full...
A thirty-one-year-old missing-person case pivots on three strands of hair found in a fist and an envelope kept on a retired sergeant’s shelf for decades - one of those hairs yielded a full nuclear DNA profile after sitting in a garage for two years. Who paid attention to that envelope, and what did a genealogy match from Indiana reveal about the person connected to Gloria Chambers’ disappearance?

In this episode, we tell how a surveyor found skeletal remains in April 2021 and how a dead detective’s evidence envelope reopened a case that began on April 7, 1990. Follow the chain from the missing-person report to the discovery of hair in a fist, the transfer of that envelope after the sergeant’s death, and the genealogical lead that followed.

Person: Gloria Chambers
Date: April 7, 1990 (disappearance)
Location: Caldwell Township
Person: Sergeant Dennis Pruitt
Event: Remains discovered April 14, 2021

- Gloria Chambers was twenty-two years old when she disappeared after leaving Pat Winslow's on the evening of April 7, 1990.
- Sergeant Dennis Pruitt bagged three strands of hair found in Gloria’s right fist and labeled the envelope "Chambers / April ninety / Hair from fist - NOT HERS."
- Pruitt retired in 2004 and died in March 2019; his daughter Karen Vogel found the envelope in his garage eight months after his death.
- Two of the three hair strands had intact root tissue, allowing a full nuclear DNA profile to be generated in spring 2020.
- The first genealogy match was a woman in Indiana, Patricia Odell, sharing approximately 1,740 centimorgans with the unknown profile.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1133falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-tote-on-the-septic-lid-29-winters-one-last-clue--73055845
Cold and precise: a dark green tote with a white heron sat on a cracked septic lid through twenty-nine winters, holding a library card, cash, credit cards and a day planner that belonged to a woman who vanished after feeding her horses. How did a strand of DNA on electrical tape and a college genealogy project point to someone the original probe never seriously considered?

In this episode, we take you through the discovery on Fieldstone Lane and the twists that followed, from the early interviews and a cadaver dog alert to a single overlooked work order that may rewrite the timeline. Who placed Monica Phillips’s tote on that concrete slab, and why did it sit in plain sight for nearly three decades?

Person: Monica Phillips
Date: March 12 (night of disappearance)
Location: Fieldstone Lane farmhouse
Status: Missing for twenty-nine years
Person: Thomas Larsen

- At 7:40 a.m. on March 4, septic service operator Thomas Larsen found a dark green canvas tote on a cracked concrete septic-tank lid.
- Inside the tote was a gallon zip-lock bag sealed with electrical tape containing a wallet, $22 cash, a Weston County library card in Monica Phillips’s name, and a spiral-bound day planner.
- Monica Phillips was 38 at the time she disappeared and had worked seven years as a dental hygienist at a two-chair practice on Vickers Street.
- Detective Phil Acosta interviewed 41 people in the first two weeks of the investigation and found no enemies, boyfriend, or estranged husband.
- A January work order showed plumber Kevin Vaughn made two visits to repair a cracked inlet baffle on the septic tank at a property on Fieldstone Lane.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055845Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:21:02 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Tote on the Septic Lid: 29 Winters, One Last Clue Cold and precise: a dark green tote with a white heron sat on a cracked septic lid through twenty-nine winters, holding a library card, cash, credit cards and a day planner that belonged to a...
Cold and precise: a dark green tote with a white heron sat on a cracked septic lid through twenty-nine winters, holding a library card, cash, credit cards and a day planner that belonged to a woman who vanished after feeding her horses. How did a strand of DNA on electrical tape and a college genealogy project point to someone the original probe never seriously considered?

In this episode, we take you through the discovery on Fieldstone Lane and the twists that followed, from the early interviews and a cadaver dog alert to a single overlooked work order that may rewrite the timeline. Who placed Monica Phillips’s tote on that concrete slab, and why did it sit in plain sight for nearly three decades?

Person: Monica Phillips
Date: March 12 (night of disappearance)
Location: Fieldstone Lane farmhouse
Status: Missing for twenty-nine years
Person: Thomas Larsen

- At 7:40 a.m. on March 4, septic service operator Thomas Larsen found a dark green canvas tote on a cracked concrete septic-tank lid.
- Inside the tote was a gallon zip-lock bag sealed with electrical tape containing a wallet, $22 cash, a Weston County library card in Monica Phillips’s name, and a spiral-bound day planner.
- Monica Phillips was 38 at the time she disappeared and had worked seven years as a dental hygienist at a two-chair practice on Vickers Street.
- Detective Phil Acosta interviewed 41 people in the first two weeks of the investigation and found no enemies, boyfriend, or estranged husband.
- A January work order showed plumber Kevin Vaughn made two visits to repair a cracked inlet baffle on the septic tank at a property on Fieldstone Lane.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1126falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-boot-in-locker-7-a-31-year-old-silence-unraveled--73055844
Cold morning, single left boot balanced on a frozen mud ledge, and a body found thirty-two feet away - the only witness was a truck driver who called from a payphone; the boot then sat in an evidence locker for thirty-one years. What finally cracked open the silence was a genealogist following a property lead - how did a stray cigarette butt and a lone boot become the key to a three-decade-old murder?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the February 14, 1987 discovery at Caldwell Flats to the decades the case remained unsolved, and we track how preserved evidence and a genealogist's curiosity reopened questions no one answered for thirty-one years. Who connected the cigarette butt in Locker seven back to the missing pieces of Craig Morgan's last night?

Person: Craig Morgan
Date: February 14, 1987
Location: Caldwell Flats, Kansas
Evidence location: Locker seven, Ness County Sheriff's Department
Finder: Neil Gardner

- One left boot was found upright on a frozen mud ledge beside a culvert on State Route nine.
- Body of Craig Morgan was discovered thirty-two feet from the boot at eight twenty a.m.
- Scene temperature was eleven degrees that morning and the boot's lace was double-knotted.
- Craig Morgan was sixty-two years old and had driven the same route for nineteen years.
- Two pieces of evidence from the truck: a partial palm print on the passenger-side door frame and a cigarette butt collected and logged by Deputy Warren Polk.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055844Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:59 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Boot in Locker 7: A 31-Year-Old Silence Unraveled Cold morning, single left boot balanced on a frozen mud ledge, and a body found thirty-two feet away - the only witness was a truck driver who called from a payphone; the boot then sat in an...
Cold morning, single left boot balanced on a frozen mud ledge, and a body found thirty-two feet away - the only witness was a truck driver who called from a payphone; the boot then sat in an evidence locker for thirty-one years. What finally cracked open the silence was a genealogist following a property lead - how did a stray cigarette butt and a lone boot become the key to a three-decade-old murder?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from the February 14, 1987 discovery at Caldwell Flats to the decades the case remained unsolved, and we track how preserved evidence and a genealogist's curiosity reopened questions no one answered for thirty-one years. Who connected the cigarette butt in Locker seven back to the missing pieces of Craig Morgan's last night?

Person: Craig Morgan
Date: February 14, 1987
Location: Caldwell Flats, Kansas
Evidence location: Locker seven, Ness County Sheriff's Department
Finder: Neil Gardner

- One left boot was found upright on a frozen mud ledge beside a culvert on State Route nine.
- Body of Craig Morgan was discovered thirty-two feet from the boot at eight twenty a.m.
- Scene temperature was eleven degrees that morning and the boot's lace was double-knotted.
- Craig Morgan was sixty-two years old and had driven the same route for nineteen years.
- Two pieces of evidence from the truck: a partial palm print on the passenger-side door frame and a cigarette butt collected and logged by Deputy Warren Polk.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1215falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-bag-how-a-single-pump-solved-a-32-year-murder--73055843
Cold January streets, a department-store bag propped against a fire hydrant, and a single navy pump size seven with a name written on a scrap of paper - a deliberate message left in 1991 that no one could explain for thirty-two years. How did one shoe in a dry bag survive relocations, a flood, and decades in cold storage to finally point to an answer no one expected?

In this episode, we walk through the moments recorded, the evidence preserved, and the people who kept the case alive across generations to see how a biological sample and an ordinary shoe reopened a closed file; what did that single pump and a refrigerated evidence locker ultimately reveal?

Person: Jean Stevens
Date: January 3, 1991 (last confirmed image), January 12, 1991 (bag found)
Location: Daleview Terrace (residence), drainage culvert off Teller Pike (body found)
Cause of death: Strangulation
Investigator: Carl Norris

- Jean Stevens was 24 years old in January 1991 and worked as a permit coordinator at the Dellwood Municipal Annex.
- On January 3, 1991 at 6:47 p.m. a lobby camera captured Jean leaving the annex; that is the last confirmed image of her alive.
- A glossy department-store bag containing a single left navy pump size 7 and a folded note with the name "Jean Stevens" was found at 6:14 a.m, on January 12, 1991.
- The body was discovered 16 days after the camera footage, in a drainage culvert off Teller Pike, about four miles east of downtown Dellwood; time of death was consistent with the evening of January 3.
- A male DNA profile was recovered from contact on Jean's coat collar in 1991, packaged and stored in a refrigerated secondary locker installed in 1988 and retained for three decades.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055843Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:56 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer Bag: How a Single Pump Solved a 32-Year Murder Cold January streets, a department-store bag propped against a fire hydrant, and a single navy pump size seven with a name written on a scrap of paper - a deliberate message left in 1991...
Cold January streets, a department-store bag propped against a fire hydrant, and a single navy pump size seven with a name written on a scrap of paper - a deliberate message left in 1991 that no one could explain for thirty-two years. How did one shoe in a dry bag survive relocations, a flood, and decades in cold storage to finally point to an answer no one expected?

In this episode, we walk through the moments recorded, the evidence preserved, and the people who kept the case alive across generations to see how a biological sample and an ordinary shoe reopened a closed file; what did that single pump and a refrigerated evidence locker ultimately reveal?

Person: Jean Stevens
Date: January 3, 1991 (last confirmed image), January 12, 1991 (bag found)
Location: Daleview Terrace (residence), drainage culvert off Teller Pike (body found)
Cause of death: Strangulation
Investigator: Carl Norris

- Jean Stevens was 24 years old in January 1991 and worked as a permit coordinator at the Dellwood Municipal Annex.
- On January 3, 1991 at 6:47 p.m. a lobby camera captured Jean leaving the annex; that is the last confirmed image of her alive.
- A glossy department-store bag containing a single left navy pump size 7 and a folded note with the name "Jean Stevens" was found at 6:14 a.m, on January 12, 1991.
- The body was discovered 16 days after the camera footage, in a drainage culvert off Teller Pike, about four miles east of downtown Dellwood; time of death was consistent with the evening of January 3.
- A male DNA profile was recovered from contact on Jean's coat collar in 1991, packaged and stored in a refrigerated secondary locker installed in 1988 and retained for three decades.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1367falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-frozen-clue-how-a-31-year-old-freezer-sample-broke-silence--73055842
The idea that a single vial in a freezer could sit untouched for thirty-one years and then unlock a murder will make your stomach tighten - a hospital badge found in weeds, a detective who kept a question alive, and a preserved skin sample collected in 1991 finally meeting modern forensic genetic genealogy. Who left Judith Tate in a ditch a mile from Caldwell Flats, and how did one frozen sample become the turning point in a case cold for three decades?

In this episode, we tell the timeline of Judith Tate’s last day, the discovery of her body, and the long preservation of evidence that outlived the detective who saved it; we trace the connections from the hospital badge in the weeds to the man who lingered in investigators’ minds and ask what the preserved sample revealed when science finally caught up.

Person: Judith Tate
Date: December 12, 1991
Location: Fenwick Mill Pike, one mile outside Caldwell Flats, Indiana
Investigator: Detective Warren Cross
Evidence: Biological material under fingernails preserved in freezer for 31 years

- Judith Tate clocked out at 3:57 p.m. on December 12, 1991 and never arrived home.
- Her body was found the next morning in a ditch along Fenwick Mill Pike, 1.1 kilometers from the nearest intersection.
- The medical examiner determined cause of death as strangulation and noted biological material under her fingernails.
- Detective Warren Cross had the sample sealed and stored at the Indiana State Police laboratory in Indianapolis, where it remained for 31 years.
- A caramel-colored blazer with a Caldwell Flats Hospital badge and initials "J.T." was found in the weeds on Fenwick Mill Pike on December 20, 2022 at 6:52 a.m, by a snowplow operator.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055842Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:53 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Frozen Clue: How a 31-Year-Old Freezer Sample Broke Silence The idea that a single vial in a freezer could sit untouched for thirty-one years and then unlock a murder will make your stomach tighten - a hospital badge found in weeds, a detective...
The idea that a single vial in a freezer could sit untouched for thirty-one years and then unlock a murder will make your stomach tighten - a hospital badge found in weeds, a detective who kept a question alive, and a preserved skin sample collected in 1991 finally meeting modern forensic genetic genealogy. Who left Judith Tate in a ditch a mile from Caldwell Flats, and how did one frozen sample become the turning point in a case cold for three decades?

In this episode, we tell the timeline of Judith Tate’s last day, the discovery of her body, and the long preservation of evidence that outlived the detective who saved it; we trace the connections from the hospital badge in the weeds to the man who lingered in investigators’ minds and ask what the preserved sample revealed when science finally caught up.

Person: Judith Tate
Date: December 12, 1991
Location: Fenwick Mill Pike, one mile outside Caldwell Flats, Indiana
Investigator: Detective Warren Cross
Evidence: Biological material under fingernails preserved in freezer for 31 years

- Judith Tate clocked out at 3:57 p.m. on December 12, 1991 and never arrived home.
- Her body was found the next morning in a ditch along Fenwick Mill Pike, 1.1 kilometers from the nearest intersection.
- The medical examiner determined cause of death as strangulation and noted biological material under her fingernails.
- Detective Warren Cross had the sample sealed and stored at the Indiana State Police laboratory in Indianapolis, where it remained for 31 years.
- A caramel-colored blazer with a Caldwell Flats Hospital badge and initials "J.T." was found in the weeds on Fenwick Mill Pike on December 20, 2022 at 6:52 a.m, by a snowplow operator.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1355falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-freezer-envelope-how-a-29-year-secret-finally-betrayed-a-killer--73055841
Fear lives in ordinary routines: Ruth Young walked the same three-mile loop before dawn for four years, wore a small white headlamp, and trusted the town’s rhythms-until a scarf knotted at her throat held a partial DNA profile that the 1993 lab could not fully read. Decades later, a plain white envelope kept in a Columbus freezer contained the missing half of the answer. Who finally connected those two pieces, and why did it take twenty-nine years?

In this episode, we follow the chronological details of the case as presented in the record: the discovery on November 14, 1993, the early morning routine Ruth kept, the initial focus on Greg Paisley, and the partial DNA recovered from the scarf. How did evidence preserved in a freezer change everything after nearly three decades?

Person: Ruth Young
Date: November 14, 1993
Location: Granger Road, Kellsford area
Detective: Lou Hester
Evidence: scarf with five-loci partial DNA profile

- Ruth was thirty-three years old when her body was found face-up in a shallow depression with her coat buttoned and scarf knotted at her throat.
- Jennifer Thorpe discovered Ruth’s body on the morning of November 14, 1993, after her truck pulled to the shoulder of Granger Road.
- Ruth had walked the same roughly three-mile route every morning at about 6:15 a.m. for four years, wearing a headlamp on dark mornings.
- Detective Lou Hester, forty years old with eleven years in homicide, began the investigation the afternoon the body was found and focused early on Greg Paisley.
- Technicians recovered a degraded partial DNA profile of five loci from the scarf in 1993, which initially fell below the laboratory threshold for identification.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055841Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:50 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Freezer Envelope: How a 29-Year Secret Finally Betrayed a Killer Fear lives in ordinary routines: Ruth Young walked the same three-mile loop before dawn for four years, wore a small white headlamp, and trusted the town’s rhythms-until a scarf...
Fear lives in ordinary routines: Ruth Young walked the same three-mile loop before dawn for four years, wore a small white headlamp, and trusted the town’s rhythms-until a scarf knotted at her throat held a partial DNA profile that the 1993 lab could not fully read. Decades later, a plain white envelope kept in a Columbus freezer contained the missing half of the answer. Who finally connected those two pieces, and why did it take twenty-nine years?

In this episode, we follow the chronological details of the case as presented in the record: the discovery on November 14, 1993, the early morning routine Ruth kept, the initial focus on Greg Paisley, and the partial DNA recovered from the scarf. How did evidence preserved in a freezer change everything after nearly three decades?

Person: Ruth Young
Date: November 14, 1993
Location: Granger Road, Kellsford area
Detective: Lou Hester
Evidence: scarf with five-loci partial DNA profile

- Ruth was thirty-three years old when her body was found face-up in a shallow depression with her coat buttoned and scarf knotted at her throat.
- Jennifer Thorpe discovered Ruth’s body on the morning of November 14, 1993, after her truck pulled to the shoulder of Granger Road.
- Ruth had walked the same roughly three-mile route every morning at about 6:15 a.m. for four years, wearing a headlamp on dark mornings.
- Detective Lou Hester, forty years old with eleven years in homicide, began the investigation the afternoon the body was found and focused early on Greg Paisley.
- Technicians recovered a degraded partial DNA profile of five loci from the scarf in 1993, which initially fell below the laboratory threshold for identification.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1180falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-badge-in-the-mud-how-thirty-one-years-of-silence-broke--73055839
Fear tightens when a single object resurfaces to undo a decades-old quiet: a laminated badge stamped RHONDA BAILEY, thirty-one years of silt, but hydrology placed it in the creek only eighteen months before it was found - deliberately moved from where it belonged. Who held that badge for three decades and why was it planted in the wrong place at the wrong time?

In this episode, we tell the events surrounding Rhonda Bailey’s disappearance, the discovery of her body, and how a single piece of evidence set a chain of investigation into motion - could that reappearing badge finally point to the truth?

Person: Rhonda Bailey
Date: Disappearance October 13, 1992; Body recovered November 28, 1992
Location: Sutter Creek floodplain south of Garver, Hendrick County, Oregon
Status: Case remained unsolved for decades; evidence preserved in Oregon State Police lab
Detective: Earl Hobbs, assigned in 1992 and carried the case until his death five weeks before the breakthrough

- Badge found by Amanda Hall on Orchard Mill Road footbridge at 6:15 a.m. in October 2023
- Badge photograph visible beneath thirty-one years of silt; expiration date October 19, 1992
- Hydrologist estimated the badge entered the water roughly eighteen months before discovery
- Rhonda had volunteered Tuesday evenings 6-9 p.m. for seven years and left the hospital October 13, 1992 at approximately 9:00 p.m.
- Biological material from fingernail scrapings indicated a white male, blood type A, sealed in evidence for thirty-one years

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055839Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:47 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Badge in the Mud: How Thirty-One Years of Silence Broke Fear tightens when a single object resurfaces to undo a decades-old quiet: a laminated badge stamped RHONDA BAILEY, thirty-one years of silt, but hydrology placed it in the creek only...
Fear tightens when a single object resurfaces to undo a decades-old quiet: a laminated badge stamped RHONDA BAILEY, thirty-one years of silt, but hydrology placed it in the creek only eighteen months before it was found - deliberately moved from where it belonged. Who held that badge for three decades and why was it planted in the wrong place at the wrong time?

In this episode, we tell the events surrounding Rhonda Bailey’s disappearance, the discovery of her body, and how a single piece of evidence set a chain of investigation into motion - could that reappearing badge finally point to the truth?

Person: Rhonda Bailey
Date: Disappearance October 13, 1992; Body recovered November 28, 1992
Location: Sutter Creek floodplain south of Garver, Hendrick County, Oregon
Status: Case remained unsolved for decades; evidence preserved in Oregon State Police lab
Detective: Earl Hobbs, assigned in 1992 and carried the case until his death five weeks before the breakthrough

- Badge found by Amanda Hall on Orchard Mill Road footbridge at 6:15 a.m. in October 2023
- Badge photograph visible beneath thirty-one years of silt; expiration date October 19, 1992
- Hydrologist estimated the badge entered the water roughly eighteen months before discovery
- Rhonda had volunteered Tuesday evenings 6-9 p.m. for seven years and left the hospital October 13, 1992 at approximately 9:00 p.m.
- Biological material from fingernail scrapings indicated a white male, blood type A, sealed in evidence for thirty-one years

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-standing-shoe-how-janet-hill-stayed-hidden-for-40-years--73055838
A lone cream-colored flat, size seven, stood upright in waist-high grass while fourteen feet away a woman lay dead and unidentified for forty years-why was one shoe placed and the other still on her foot? The missing right earring and a handwritten diner log of perfect Thursday routines add to a pattern that refused to make sense: who moved her, and why was a shoe left as a deliberate marker?

In this episode, we tell the story of what was found on September 11, 1983, how investigators followed fragments of evidence for decades, and how a DNA kit ordered for unrelated reasons and an earring in a cardboard box finally changed the case. What sequence of events turned a regular Thursday routine into a mystery that lasted four decades?

Person: Janet Hill
Date: September 11, 1983
Location: Utility easement behind Correl Street, Harnett Township, near Dayton, Ohio
Status: Unidentified for 40 years; body found strangled
Age at birth year: Born 1938

- One cream-colored flat shoe, size seven, was found standing upright in the grass with laces tied.
- The body was located fourteen feet from the shoe in a drainage ditch overgrown with sagebrush.
- Janet Hill was born in 1938 in Findlay, Ohio, and last confirmed seen on Thursday, September 1, 1983, leaving Vic's Family Restaurant at 8:00 AM.
- Investigators circulated dental records across nine states with no match; fingerprints returned no match.
- Janet was found wearing one silver earring in her left ear; the right earring was missing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055838Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:44 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Standing Shoe: How Janet Hill Stayed Hidden For 40 Years A lone cream-colored flat, size seven, stood upright in waist-high grass while fourteen feet away a woman lay dead and unidentified for forty years-why was one shoe placed and the other...
A lone cream-colored flat, size seven, stood upright in waist-high grass while fourteen feet away a woman lay dead and unidentified for forty years-why was one shoe placed and the other still on her foot? The missing right earring and a handwritten diner log of perfect Thursday routines add to a pattern that refused to make sense: who moved her, and why was a shoe left as a deliberate marker?

In this episode, we tell the story of what was found on September 11, 1983, how investigators followed fragments of evidence for decades, and how a DNA kit ordered for unrelated reasons and an earring in a cardboard box finally changed the case. What sequence of events turned a regular Thursday routine into a mystery that lasted four decades?

Person: Janet Hill
Date: September 11, 1983
Location: Utility easement behind Correl Street, Harnett Township, near Dayton, Ohio
Status: Unidentified for 40 years; body found strangled
Age at birth year: Born 1938

- One cream-colored flat shoe, size seven, was found standing upright in the grass with laces tied.
- The body was located fourteen feet from the shoe in a drainage ditch overgrown with sagebrush.
- Janet Hill was born in 1938 in Findlay, Ohio, and last confirmed seen on Thursday, September 1, 1983, leaving Vic's Family Restaurant at 8:00 AM.
- Investigators circulated dental records across nine states with no match; fingerprints returned no match.
- Janet was found wearing one silver earring in her left ear; the right earring was missing.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1285falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-shoe-at-the-tree-line-how-a-cup-solved-tracy-andrews-murder--73055837
A single shoe with its laces still tied, sitting upright at the tree line eight feet from a body, stopped a passerby on the morning of August 14, 1993 - and a paper coffee cup, sealed and refrigerated for thirty-one years, held the clue that finally rewrote the case. How did a cup hidden under a low branch and preserved in a police property room become the key to solving a murder three decades later?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Tracy Andrews’ last confirmed evening at a ceramics class through the discovery at the Calvary Fellowship food pantry tree line, and we trace how preservation of evidence reshaped the investigation and its outcome. What question asked of that cup in 2022 changed everything?

Person: Tracy Andrews
Date: August 14, 1993
Location: Tree line behind Calvary Fellowship food pantry on Clement Avenue, Harlan, Ohio
Cause of death: Strangulation
Evidence preserved: Paper coffee cup sealed and refrigerated for 31 years

- Tracy Andrews was 29 years old at the time of her death.
- Gloria Mitchell called Harlan PD at 6:41 a.m. on August 14, 1993 after finding Tracy’s shoe and body.
- The shoe was found upright at the edge of the grass with the laces still tied, eight feet from the body.
- A ceramic rib tool was found near the body and did not match Parks and Recreation inventory or Tracy’s tools.
- The paper cup was located partially hidden under a low branch approximately eight feet from Tracy’s body and remained in the Harlan Police Department property room until 2024.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055837Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:41 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Shoe at the Tree Line: How a Cup Solved Tracy Andrews' Murder A single shoe with its laces still tied, sitting upright at the tree line eight feet from a body, stopped a passerby on the morning of August 14, 1993 - and a paper coffee cup,...
A single shoe with its laces still tied, sitting upright at the tree line eight feet from a body, stopped a passerby on the morning of August 14, 1993 - and a paper coffee cup, sealed and refrigerated for thirty-one years, held the clue that finally rewrote the case. How did a cup hidden under a low branch and preserved in a police property room become the key to solving a murder three decades later?

In this episode, we follow the timeline from Tracy Andrews’ last confirmed evening at a ceramics class through the discovery at the Calvary Fellowship food pantry tree line, and we trace how preservation of evidence reshaped the investigation and its outcome. What question asked of that cup in 2022 changed everything?

Person: Tracy Andrews
Date: August 14, 1993
Location: Tree line behind Calvary Fellowship food pantry on Clement Avenue, Harlan, Ohio
Cause of death: Strangulation
Evidence preserved: Paper coffee cup sealed and refrigerated for 31 years

- Tracy Andrews was 29 years old at the time of her death.
- Gloria Mitchell called Harlan PD at 6:41 a.m. on August 14, 1993 after finding Tracy’s shoe and body.
- The shoe was found upright at the edge of the grass with the laces still tied, eight feet from the body.
- A ceramic rib tool was found near the body and did not match Parks and Recreation inventory or Tracy’s tools.
- The paper cup was located partially hidden under a low branch approximately eight feet from Tracy’s body and remained in the Harlan Police Department property room until 2024.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1189falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-frozen-filet-in-a-murdered-man-s-palm-30-years-later--73055834
A dead man's open palm held a vacuum‑sealed frozen white fish fillet, still dusted with frost crystals and bearing an intact barcode, even though the morning air was 81°F - and the fish had left a freezer within two hours. How did a frozen package travel from a working freezer to Brauer Pond and end up placed gently in a corpse’s hand, and who hid in plain sight for three decades while the answer waited in an evidence vault?

In this episode, we tell the story of Alan Petersen and the strange evidence that followed his death: his life as a longtime shop teacher, the discovery at Brauer Pond on July 14, 1991, and the detail that finally cracked the case thirty years later. What did a frost‑covered fish fillet, a retired detective’s cardboard box, and a genetic genealogist’s eleven‑week obsession reveal?

Person: Alan Petersen
Date: July 14, 1991
Location: Brauer Pond, Ohio
Status: Case cracked in October 2021
Occupation: Shop teacher at Fenwick Regional High School for 22 years

- Temperature at scene: 81 degrees Fahrenheit the morning the body was found.
- Time since death estimated: between 14 and 18 hours when discovered.
- Distance from Petersen’s rented farm to Brauer Pond: approximately 4 miles.
- Age of victim: 56 years old at time of death in summer 1991.
- Investigator detail: genetic genealogist conducted an eleven‑week inquiry that contributed to resolving the case.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055834Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:37 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Frozen Filet in a Murdered Man's Palm - 30 Years Later A dead man's open palm held a vacuum‑sealed frozen white fish fillet, still dusted with frost crystals and bearing an intact barcode, even though the morning air was 81°F - and the fish had...
A dead man's open palm held a vacuum‑sealed frozen white fish fillet, still dusted with frost crystals and bearing an intact barcode, even though the morning air was 81°F - and the fish had left a freezer within two hours. How did a frozen package travel from a working freezer to Brauer Pond and end up placed gently in a corpse’s hand, and who hid in plain sight for three decades while the answer waited in an evidence vault?

In this episode, we tell the story of Alan Petersen and the strange evidence that followed his death: his life as a longtime shop teacher, the discovery at Brauer Pond on July 14, 1991, and the detail that finally cracked the case thirty years later. What did a frost‑covered fish fillet, a retired detective’s cardboard box, and a genetic genealogist’s eleven‑week obsession reveal?

Person: Alan Petersen
Date: July 14, 1991
Location: Brauer Pond, Ohio
Status: Case cracked in October 2021
Occupation: Shop teacher at Fenwick Regional High School for 22 years

- Temperature at scene: 81 degrees Fahrenheit the morning the body was found.
- Time since death estimated: between 14 and 18 hours when discovered.
- Distance from Petersen’s rented farm to Brauer Pond: approximately 4 miles.
- Age of victim: 56 years old at time of death in summer 1991.
- Investigator detail: genetic genealogist conducted an eleven‑week inquiry that contributed to resolving the case.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1331falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-dry-paper-in-her-shoe-who-tucked-a-secret-inside--73055833
A single dry scrap of paper inside a canvas sneaker should have been impossible - Nicole Erickson lay face-up in two feet of creek water, her right shoe still double-knotted and a torn half-sheet folded twice tucked into its toe. Who could have opened her tightly knotted shoe, placed that contractor's estimate half-sheet inside, and left it completely dry while the shoe sat in the creek all weekend?

In this episode, we tell how a missing shoe, a brown 1988 Honda Civic with keys in the ignition, and a dry piece of paper turned a small-town death into a twenty-seven-year mystery - and how a six-foot whiteboard, three dry-erase marker colors, and a DNA test eventually shifted the case. Who placed the paper in Nicole's shoe, and what did that impossible dryness conceal?

Person: Nicole Erickson
Age: 22
Date found: June 14, 1991
Location: Western bank of Osage Fork, near Harlan, Missouri
Missing item: Left shoe never recovered

- Nicole Erickson was found face-up in about two feet of water on the western bank of Osage Fork.
- Her right white canvas sneaker was still laced and double-knotted as she always did.
- A torn half-sheet of contractor's estimate pad was folded twice and placed inside the toe of that right shoe and was dry at the center.
- A brown 1988 Honda Civic with keys in the ignition was discovered behind the Route Nine gas station roughly four miles from the creek.
- Detective Lou Henning questioned Aaron Cole for eleven hours but the prosecutor declined to charge him and the case went cold by spring 1993.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055833Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:34 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Dry Paper in Her Shoe: Who Tucked a Secret Inside? A single dry scrap of paper inside a canvas sneaker should have been impossible - Nicole Erickson lay face-up in two feet of creek water, her right shoe still double-knotted and a torn...
A single dry scrap of paper inside a canvas sneaker should have been impossible - Nicole Erickson lay face-up in two feet of creek water, her right shoe still double-knotted and a torn half-sheet folded twice tucked into its toe. Who could have opened her tightly knotted shoe, placed that contractor's estimate half-sheet inside, and left it completely dry while the shoe sat in the creek all weekend?

In this episode, we tell how a missing shoe, a brown 1988 Honda Civic with keys in the ignition, and a dry piece of paper turned a small-town death into a twenty-seven-year mystery - and how a six-foot whiteboard, three dry-erase marker colors, and a DNA test eventually shifted the case. Who placed the paper in Nicole's shoe, and what did that impossible dryness conceal?

Person: Nicole Erickson
Age: 22
Date found: June 14, 1991
Location: Western bank of Osage Fork, near Harlan, Missouri
Missing item: Left shoe never recovered

- Nicole Erickson was found face-up in about two feet of water on the western bank of Osage Fork.
- Her right white canvas sneaker was still laced and double-knotted as she always did.
- A torn half-sheet of contractor's estimate pad was folded twice and placed inside the toe of that right shoe and was dry at the center.
- A brown 1988 Honda Civic with keys in the ignition was discovered behind the Route Nine gas station roughly four miles from the creek.
- Detective Lou Henning questioned Aaron Cole for eleven hours but the prosecutor declined to charge him and the case went cold by spring 1993.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-watch-that-unraveled-a-29-year-tennessee-mystery--73055832
The discovery of a pristine gold-toned watch in a limestone crevice after twenty-nine years contradicted the case file and reopened a disappearance that ended in asphyxiation; how did a watch bought the month Holly Ward died, and found forty minutes from her body, become the key to breaking a case no one touched for over two decades? What connection did a tiny DNA fragment on an earring clasp have to a retired suspect who nearly walked free?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Holly Ward’s May 20, 1993 disappearance to the May 14, 2022 recovery of the watch and the 2022 genetic genealogy breakthrough, showing how one overlooked detail redirected the investigation and asking whether the original misdirection can be fully explained.

Person: Holly Ward
Date: May 20, 1993 (disappearance); September 1993 (body recovered); May 14, 2022 (watch found)
Location: Pickett County, Tennessee; body recovered roughly four miles from where watch was found
Status: Watch discovered reopened case; DNA profile uploaded March 2022 yielding 43 matches

- Holly Ward left work at 5:45 p.m. on May 20, 1993 and never made her regular Thursday evening choir and gardening routines.
- Holly’s silver 1989 Civic was found May 21, 1993 on Route 111 with the driver’s door open, engine cold, and purse on the passenger seat.
- Holly’s body was recovered in September 1993 in a limestone sink; cause of death recorded as asphyxiation; no watch was listed in the recovery inventory.
- On May 14, 2022, Jean Fleming found a gold-toned rectangular watch in a dry limestone crevice about 60 feet into the tree line; the watch had an expansion bracelet and an unscratched crystal.
- In March 2022 Gordon Williams uploaded a DNA profile extracted from an earring clasp to a public genealogy database and received 43 matches, none closer than a third cousin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055832Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:31 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Watch That Unraveled a 29-Year Tennessee Mystery The discovery of a pristine gold-toned watch in a limestone crevice after twenty-nine years contradicted the case file and reopened a disappearance that ended in asphyxiation; how did a watch...
The discovery of a pristine gold-toned watch in a limestone crevice after twenty-nine years contradicted the case file and reopened a disappearance that ended in asphyxiation; how did a watch bought the month Holly Ward died, and found forty minutes from her body, become the key to breaking a case no one touched for over two decades? What connection did a tiny DNA fragment on an earring clasp have to a retired suspect who nearly walked free?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Holly Ward’s May 20, 1993 disappearance to the May 14, 2022 recovery of the watch and the 2022 genetic genealogy breakthrough, showing how one overlooked detail redirected the investigation and asking whether the original misdirection can be fully explained.

Person: Holly Ward
Date: May 20, 1993 (disappearance); September 1993 (body recovered); May 14, 2022 (watch found)
Location: Pickett County, Tennessee; body recovered roughly four miles from where watch was found
Status: Watch discovered reopened case; DNA profile uploaded March 2022 yielding 43 matches

- Holly Ward left work at 5:45 p.m. on May 20, 1993 and never made her regular Thursday evening choir and gardening routines.
- Holly’s silver 1989 Civic was found May 21, 1993 on Route 111 with the driver’s door open, engine cold, and purse on the passenger seat.
- Holly’s body was recovered in September 1993 in a limestone sink; cause of death recorded as asphyxiation; no watch was listed in the recovery inventory.
- On May 14, 2022, Jean Fleming found a gold-toned rectangular watch in a dry limestone crevice about 60 feet into the tree line; the watch had an expansion bracelet and an unscratched crystal.
- In March 2022 Gordon Williams uploaded a DNA profile extracted from an earring clasp to a public genealogy database and received 43 matches, none closer than a third cousin.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1296falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-avocado-freezer-how-a-brass-lock-hid-a-30-year-secret--73055830
A bright brass Master Lock, a fresh spade-bit hole and a running avocado-green Kenmore chest hid a body for up to twenty-two months - and the lock was bought four blocks from the victim’s workplace. How did a precise, routine life end mid-crossword and remain undiscovered until a septic contractor opened that freezer?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Wendy Fleming’s organized life and October 4 last-seen date through the April 14 discovery in a rented farmhouse on Kellum Road, and we ask how evidence like a new padlock and a drilled power hole reshaped the search for answers.

Person: Wendy Fleming
Date last seen: October 4, 1989
Date reported missing: October 9, 1989
Date body discovered: April 14, 1991
Location of body: rented farmhouse on Kellum Road, Tate County, Indiana

- Wendy Fleming was sixty-one years old when her body was found.
- The freezer’s padlock was a brass Master Lock purchased four blocks from Wendy’s workplace.
- The body had been wrapped in contractor-grade plastic sealed with electrical tape at roughly six-inch intervals.
- Pathologist estimated the body was placed in the freezer between 14 and 22 months before discovery.
- Deputies arrived to cut the lock and lift the lid at 11:15 a.m, on April 14, 1991.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055830Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:28 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Avocado Freezer: How a Brass Lock Hid a 30-Year Secret A bright brass Master Lock, a fresh spade-bit hole and a running avocado-green Kenmore chest hid a body for up to twenty-two months - and the lock was bought four blocks from the victim’s...
A bright brass Master Lock, a fresh spade-bit hole and a running avocado-green Kenmore chest hid a body for up to twenty-two months - and the lock was bought four blocks from the victim’s workplace. How did a precise, routine life end mid-crossword and remain undiscovered until a septic contractor opened that freezer?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Wendy Fleming’s organized life and October 4 last-seen date through the April 14 discovery in a rented farmhouse on Kellum Road, and we ask how evidence like a new padlock and a drilled power hole reshaped the search for answers.

Person: Wendy Fleming
Date last seen: October 4, 1989
Date reported missing: October 9, 1989
Date body discovered: April 14, 1991
Location of body: rented farmhouse on Kellum Road, Tate County, Indiana

- Wendy Fleming was sixty-one years old when her body was found.
- The freezer’s padlock was a brass Master Lock purchased four blocks from Wendy’s workplace.
- The body had been wrapped in contractor-grade plastic sealed with electrical tape at roughly six-inch intervals.
- Pathologist estimated the body was placed in the freezer between 14 and 22 months before discovery.
- Deputies arrived to cut the lock and lift the lid at 11:15 a.m, on April 14, 1991.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1240falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/inside-wallet-on-kitchen-counter--73055829
A man vanished after leaving his apartment without keys or wallet, his Seiko watch later found face-up on a rock with the date wheel set to the fourth - photographed in situ by a birdwatcher who touched nothing. Thirty-two years and a sealed evidence box later, a skin cell on the watch band and volunteer genealogy reopened a case that had four hundred hours of interviews, six interrogations, and no charges; who placed the watch and why?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Mark Sawyer’s last routine morning run to the sealed archive and the new lab hit that restarted the inquiry, asking whether the breakthrough evidence finally explains how he ended up dead three-quarters of a mile from his apartment.

Person: Mark Sawyer
Date: March 4, 1991
Location: Millrace Road woodlot
Age: 24 years, 2 months, 11 days
Investigator: Art Phelps

- The Seiko watch was found face-up on a flat rock on March 14, 1991, with the date wheel reading "4".
- The birdwatcher, Duane Whitaker, photographed the watch where it lay and did not touch it.
- Searchers found Mark’s body on March 18, 1991, in a shallow depression partially concealed under cut brush.
- Detective Art Phelps logged approximately 400 hours of interviews in the first six months and conducted six interrogations with no charges.
- Mark had run the same two-mile loop every morning at 6:15 for three years and left his key on the hook and his wallet on the kitchen counter on the morning he disappeared.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055829Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:25 +0000Creator at Obomediainside; wallet on kitchen counter A man vanished after leaving his apartment without keys or wallet, his Seiko watch later found face-up on a rock with the date wheel set to the fourth - photographed in situ by a birdwatcher who touched nothing....
A man vanished after leaving his apartment without keys or wallet, his Seiko watch later found face-up on a rock with the date wheel set to the fourth - photographed in situ by a birdwatcher who touched nothing. Thirty-two years and a sealed evidence box later, a skin cell on the watch band and volunteer genealogy reopened a case that had four hundred hours of interviews, six interrogations, and no charges; who placed the watch and why?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from Mark Sawyer’s last routine morning run to the sealed archive and the new lab hit that restarted the inquiry, asking whether the breakthrough evidence finally explains how he ended up dead three-quarters of a mile from his apartment.

Person: Mark Sawyer
Date: March 4, 1991
Location: Millrace Road woodlot
Age: 24 years, 2 months, 11 days
Investigator: Art Phelps

- The Seiko watch was found face-up on a flat rock on March 14, 1991, with the date wheel reading "4".
- The birdwatcher, Duane Whitaker, photographed the watch where it lay and did not touch it.
- Searchers found Mark’s body on March 18, 1991, in a shallow depression partially concealed under cut brush.
- Detective Art Phelps logged approximately 400 hours of interviews in the first six months and conducted six interrogations with no charges.
- Mark had run the same two-mile loop every morning at 6:15 for three years and left his key on the hook and his wallet on the kitchen counter on the morning he disappeared.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1247falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-upright-shoe-how-a-forgotten-swab-unmasked-a-killer--73055828
Cold and precise: a single black dress pump stood upright on the second interior stair at 6:20 AM on February 9, 1993, while the temperature outside was eleven degrees Fahrenheit-one DNA swab taken beneath the victim’s fingernails in 1993 sat sealed in a county freezer for 29 years, 3 months, and 11 days. Who did Brenda Schultz let walk back through her door that night, and how did a forgotten sample finally change everything?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from the delivery logged at 4:17 PM on February 8 to the discovery at 6:27 AM on February 9, describing the preserved evidence, the key witnesses, and the long dormancy of a crucial DNA profile that awaited the right question. Could a tube in a freezer and a modern genetic upload break a case that stumped investigators for decades?

Person: Brenda Schultz
Date: February 8-9, 1993
Location: Millbrook Avenue townhome
Evidence: DNA swab from beneath fingernails
Duration of storage: 29 years, 3 months, 11 days

- Brenda Schultz was 48 years old and had worked as a billing coordinator at Crestfield Regional Medical Center for 11 years.
- A heating-oil delivery was logged at 4:17 PM on February 8 under a specific route number, with the driver gaining interior access.
- Police were called at 6:27 AM on February 9 after 14-year-old paper carrier Terry Rafferty found the storm door open at 6:20 AM.
- The temperature at discovery was 11 degrees Fahrenheit and a single black dress pump was found standing upright on the second interior stair.
- Seven witnesses placed Ray Ockert at Hannigan’s Tap for roughly four or more hours the evening of February 8, providing an alibi investigators noted.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055828Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:22 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Upright Shoe: How a Forgotten Swab Unmasked a Killer Cold and precise: a single black dress pump stood upright on the second interior stair at 6:20 AM on February 9, 1993, while the temperature outside was eleven degrees Fahrenheit-one DNA swab...
Cold and precise: a single black dress pump stood upright on the second interior stair at 6:20 AM on February 9, 1993, while the temperature outside was eleven degrees Fahrenheit-one DNA swab taken beneath the victim’s fingernails in 1993 sat sealed in a county freezer for 29 years, 3 months, and 11 days. Who did Brenda Schultz let walk back through her door that night, and how did a forgotten sample finally change everything?

In this episode, we lay out the timeline from the delivery logged at 4:17 PM on February 8 to the discovery at 6:27 AM on February 9, describing the preserved evidence, the key witnesses, and the long dormancy of a crucial DNA profile that awaited the right question. Could a tube in a freezer and a modern genetic upload break a case that stumped investigators for decades?

Person: Brenda Schultz
Date: February 8-9, 1993
Location: Millbrook Avenue townhome
Evidence: DNA swab from beneath fingernails
Duration of storage: 29 years, 3 months, 11 days

- Brenda Schultz was 48 years old and had worked as a billing coordinator at Crestfield Regional Medical Center for 11 years.
- A heating-oil delivery was logged at 4:17 PM on February 8 under a specific route number, with the driver gaining interior access.
- Police were called at 6:27 AM on February 9 after 14-year-old paper carrier Terry Rafferty found the storm door open at 6:20 AM.
- The temperature at discovery was 11 degrees Fahrenheit and a single black dress pump was found standing upright on the second interior stair.
- Seven witnesses placed Ray Ockert at Hannigan’s Tap for roughly four or more hours the evening of February 8, providing an alibi investigators noted.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/warm-hand-frozen-creek-the-ring-that-broke-a-32-year-silence--73055827
A severed left hand with a gold claddagh ring still on the finger, its skin measurably warm in air at twelve degrees below freezing - and the woman it belonged to, a thirty-two-year-old nurse, found frozen in the creek bed two days later. How did a hand stay warm on a culvert grate at 4:50 a.m., and why did a gas station receipt timestamped 8:51 p.m. the night before sit folded under a car floor mat for thirty-two years without being followed up? What single overlooked thread finally unraveled this long silence?

In this episode, we lay out the facts recorded across the original investigation files and the cold-case review that began in 2018, tracing Kathleen Collins’s last confirmed movements, the discovery on Linden Creek Road, and the evidence that sat untouched for decades. We then follow Detective Roy Barnes as he reads a boxed file, finds the missing leads, and asks the questions that earlier investigators missed.

Person: Kathleen Collins
Age: 32
Date: January 9, 1987 (hand found at 4:50 a.m.; last seen January 8 at 9:15 p.m.)
Location: Linden Creek Road culvert; Elm Cross Road residence; car found on Linden Creek Road
Occupation: Nurse at Millbrook Regional Medical Center
Status: Body recovered two days later, strangled; amputation occurred after death

- The hand was found on an iron grate at 4:50 a.m. by snowplow operator Craig Riley in air twelve degrees below freezing.
- A gold claddagh ring remained on the severed left hand; Riley touched it twice because he did not believe the first touch.
- Kathleen’s car, a 1983 Honda Civic nicknamed "Gerald," was found cold on the gravel shoulder of Linden Creek Road less than 400 meters from the culvert.
- Under the passenger-side floor mat, investigators found a gas station receipt timestamped 8:51 p.m. on January 8 for a single bottle of ginger ale that Kathleen did not drink.
- Detective Roy Barnes reopened the case in spring 2018 at age 44 and read a cardboard box of files donated by Claire Nolan that had sat unopened for four years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055827Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:19 +0000Creator at ObomediaWarm Hand, Frozen Creek: The Ring That Broke a 32-Year Silence A severed left hand with a gold claddagh ring still on the finger, its skin measurably warm in air at twelve degrees below freezing - and the woman it belonged to, a thirty-two-year-old...
A severed left hand with a gold claddagh ring still on the finger, its skin measurably warm in air at twelve degrees below freezing - and the woman it belonged to, a thirty-two-year-old nurse, found frozen in the creek bed two days later. How did a hand stay warm on a culvert grate at 4:50 a.m., and why did a gas station receipt timestamped 8:51 p.m. the night before sit folded under a car floor mat for thirty-two years without being followed up? What single overlooked thread finally unraveled this long silence?

In this episode, we lay out the facts recorded across the original investigation files and the cold-case review that began in 2018, tracing Kathleen Collins’s last confirmed movements, the discovery on Linden Creek Road, and the evidence that sat untouched for decades. We then follow Detective Roy Barnes as he reads a boxed file, finds the missing leads, and asks the questions that earlier investigators missed.

Person: Kathleen Collins
Age: 32
Date: January 9, 1987 (hand found at 4:50 a.m.; last seen January 8 at 9:15 p.m.)
Location: Linden Creek Road culvert; Elm Cross Road residence; car found on Linden Creek Road
Occupation: Nurse at Millbrook Regional Medical Center
Status: Body recovered two days later, strangled; amputation occurred after death

- The hand was found on an iron grate at 4:50 a.m. by snowplow operator Craig Riley in air twelve degrees below freezing.
- A gold claddagh ring remained on the severed left hand; Riley touched it twice because he did not believe the first touch.
- Kathleen’s car, a 1983 Honda Civic nicknamed "Gerald," was found cold on the gravel shoulder of Linden Creek Road less than 400 meters from the culvert.
- Under the passenger-side floor mat, investigators found a gas station receipt timestamped 8:51 p.m. on January 8 for a single bottle of ginger ale that Kathleen did not drink.
- Detective Roy Barnes reopened the case in spring 2018 at age 44 and read a cardboard box of files donated by Claire Nolan that had sat unopened for four years.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1290falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-envelope-on-the-ice-why-someone-returned-after-murder--73055825
Cold air, a back stoop, and an envelope left on top of the overnight ice - someone returned to Amanda Murphy’s house after she was strangled and placed a blank folded sheet inside a plain business envelope; why leave a message with all language removed? Who came back to the scene and why did they undo what had already been done?

In this episode, we follow the case file details and the three unresolved threads that kept the investigation alive for decades: an unfamiliar dark half-ton pickup, a fired contract worker named Wade Simpson, and Item fourteen-B - the blank envelope left on the frozen stoop. Which of these leads explains the return to the house after the murder?

Person: Amanda Murphy
Date: December 10-11, 1993
Location: Dellwood, Ohio
Item: Item fourteen-B (plain business envelope with one folded blank sheet)
Investigator: Connie Briggs

- Amanda Murphy was 52 years old and had lived in Dellwood for 11 years.
- Time of death was placed between 8 and 11 PM on December 10, 1993; found 12-14 hours later.
- Temperature in Dellwood had dropped to 18 degrees the night of the murder.
- The envelope remained in the county evidence freezer for 31 years.
- A neighbor reported an unfamiliar dark half-ton pickup with a cracked left taillight parked near Amanda’s driveway around 7-8 PM.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73055825Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:20:15 +0000Creator at ObomediaThe Envelope on the Ice: Why Someone Returned After Murder Cold air, a back stoop, and an envelope left on top of the overnight ice - someone returned to Amanda Murphy’s house after she was strangled and placed a blank folded sheet inside a plain...
Cold air, a back stoop, and an envelope left on top of the overnight ice - someone returned to Amanda Murphy’s house after she was strangled and placed a blank folded sheet inside a plain business envelope; why leave a message with all language removed? Who came back to the scene and why did they undo what had already been done?

In this episode, we follow the case file details and the three unresolved threads that kept the investigation alive for decades: an unfamiliar dark half-ton pickup, a fired contract worker named Wade Simpson, and Item fourteen-B - the blank envelope left on the frozen stoop. Which of these leads explains the return to the house after the murder?

Person: Amanda Murphy
Date: December 10-11, 1993
Location: Dellwood, Ohio
Item: Item fourteen-B (plain business envelope with one folded blank sheet)
Investigator: Connie Briggs

- Amanda Murphy was 52 years old and had lived in Dellwood for 11 years.
- Time of death was placed between 8 and 11 PM on December 10, 1993; found 12-14 hours later.
- Temperature in Dellwood had dropped to 18 degrees the night of the murder.
- The envelope remained in the county evidence freezer for 31 years.
- A neighbor reported an unfamiliar dark half-ton pickup with a cracked left taillight parked near Amanda’s driveway around 7-8 PM.

To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.

© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: business@obomedia.com.]]>1026falsefull